North Texas man executed for 2004 killing of TCU professor
Summary
Edward Busby, Jr., a North Texas man claimed to be intellectually disabled by experts, was executed for killing a retired Texas Christian University professor in 2004. The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay that had delayed his execution, despite ongoing legal arguments over his intellectual disability status.Key Facts
- Edward Busby, Jr. was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas, at 8:11 p.m. local time.
- He was convicted of suffocating Laura Lee Crane, a 77-year-old retired college professor, in 2004.
- Experts for both the defense and prosecution said Busby is intellectually disabled.
- The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay that had temporarily stopped his execution, despite three justices opposing the decision.
- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had earlier issued a stay to review Busby’s disability claims.
- Texas law and courts allowed the execution despite the Supreme Court’s 2002 ruling barring the execution of intellectually disabled people, as states decide how to apply that ruling.
- The district attorney’s office initially recommended reducing Busby’s sentence to life in prison but later supported proceeding with the execution.
- Busby apologized before his execution and asked for forgiveness.
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