Texas prepares for second execution of 2026 as Robert Ricks faces lethal injection
Texas is preparing for its second execution of the year. Robert Ricks, convicted in 2014 for the fatal stabbing of a woman and her 8-year-old son, faces lethal injection on April 30. His lawyers continue to fight the sentence with pending appeals.
The crime took place in 2013 after an argument between Ricks and Roxann Sanchez. He stabbed Sanchez and her two sons, aged 8 and 12, in their home. The 8-year-old and Sanchez died, but the 12-year-old survived by pretending to be dead. Police later found the child unharmed, along with a 9-month-old baby who was left untouched.
Ricks fled to Oklahoma before confessing to the murders. A jury convicted him in 2014, and he was sentenced to death. Since then, his legal team has repeatedly challenged the verdict. One appeal reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2025, arguing that jurors were biased after seeing Ricks in shackles during trial. Another claim of racial discrimination in jury selection was rejected by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals last year. His lawyers have now filed a last-minute request for a stay of execution with the Supreme Court, following a ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. If the execution proceeds, Ricks will be the second person put to death in Texas this year. The state carried out five executions in 2025, though recent annual figures remain unclear.
The case has drawn attention due to Ricks' ongoing legal battles. His final appeal rests with the U.S. Supreme Court, which must decide whether to halt the execution. The scheduled date remains April 30 unless intervened.
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