Texan executed for killing of 2 brothers

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas inmate was executed Tuesday evening for fatally stabbing two Houston-area brothers during a robbery in their home more than 30 years ago.

Rick Rhoades, 57, was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was condemned for the 1991 killings of Charles Allen, 31, and Bradley Allen, 33. The brothers were killed less than a day after Rhoades was released on parole after serving a sentence for burglary.

Asked by the warden for a final statement, Rhoades declined.

Then as the lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing through needles in each of his arms, Rhoades took several deep breaths, gurgled twice and began snoring, each breath becoming less pronounced. Within about a minute, all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead at 6:29 p.m., 17 minutes after the injection began.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to delay Rhoades’ execution over claims that his right to due process was being violated because he was being prevented from pursuing allegations that some potential jurors might have been dismissed for racially discriminatory reasons.

“We hope the Allen family finds peace after nearly 30 years of waiting for justice for their loved ones,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

Marley Allen Holt, Bradley Allen’s daughter, said she attended the execution because Rhoades watched her father die, and “I wanted to watch him die.”

“It’s a weird feeling,” Kevin Allen, whose two brothers were slain, said after witnessing the execution. “I can’t really describe what it’s like. It’s the most solemn thing I think I’ve ever been part of, if that’s the word that’s even appropriate.”