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Texas man executed for beheading 3 children: ‘Going to be with my kids’
John Allen Rubio, 46, was executed in Texas nearly 23 years after he was convicted of murdering three young children he helped raise. The case drew attention to his mental state and the circumstances surrounding the killings; Rubio’s common-law wife, Angela Camacho, was also prosecuted.
The killings took place in Brownsville on 11 March 2003. Rubio was pronounced dead at 6.47pm, 21 minutes after the lethal injection began, and said in his final statement that he was sorry to his wife’s family and expected to be with his children. He had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with defence experts diagnosing paranoid schizophrenia, while prosecution experts disputed that assessment; Camacho is serving a life sentence.
In short
- Texas executed John Allen Rubio nearly 23 years after the children’s murders.
- He was pronounced dead 21 minutes after the lethal injection began.
- Angela Camacho, also convicted in the case, is serving life in prison.
Explained simply
In 2003, three young children were killed in Brownsville, a city in southern Texas. John Allen Rubio and his common-law wife, Angela Camacho, had helped raise them; both were prosecuted in connection with the killings.
Rubio’s trial centred partly on his mental state. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and defence experts said he had paranoid schizophrenia, while prosecution experts disagreed. Camacho is serving a life sentence.
The case raised questions about how mental illness is assessed in criminal trials and how it relates to responsibility for serious crimes. Texas uses lethal injection for executions.