Texas has carried out seven executions so far in 2026, the most recent being that of 46-year-old Jamaal Howard on Oct. 7. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Howard was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the 2000 murder of a convenience store clerk in Hardin County.
The execution of Howard marks the 603rd time the state has carried out a death sentence since resuming the practice in 1982. The incident serves as the latest entry in a series of legal actions taken by the state throughout the year.
Records provided by the TDCJ offer a stark view of the recent frequency of capital punishment in Texas, documenting the 10 most recent executions. Following Howard, the list includes several other significant cases:
- Ker’Sean Olajuwa Ramey: Executed on Sept. 23, 2026, at age 41. Ramey was convicted in Jackson County for his role in the 2005 triple homicide of Samuel Roberts, Tiffani Peacock, and Celso Lopez during a robbery in Edna. His co-defendant, LeJames Norman, was executed just one week prior.
- LeJames Norman: Executed on Sept. 17, 2026, at age 40. Like Ramey, Norman was convicted in Jackson County for the 2005 slayings of Roberts, Peacock, and Lopez during a botched robbery.
- Edward Busby: Executed on May 14, 2026, at age 53. Convicted in Tarrant County, Busby was put to death for the abduction and murder of a woman, whom he kidnapped from a parking lot before stealing her vehicle.
- James Broadnax: Executed on April 30, 2026, at age 37. Broadnax was convicted in Dallas County for the robbery and murder of two men.
- Cedric Ricks: Executed on March 11, 2026, at age 51. Ricks, a Tarrant County case, was convicted for the killing of his girlfriend and her son during a domestic dispute.
- Charles Thompson: Executed on Jan. 28, 2026, at age 55. A resident of Harris County, Thompson was convicted for the 1998 murders of his on-and-off girlfriend, Dennise Hayslip, and Darren Cain in Tomball. He spent nearly 27 years on death row before his sentence was carried out.
Rounding out the 10 most recent state-sanctioned deaths are those of Blaine Milam (executed Sept. 25, 2025), Matthew Johnson (executed May 20, 2025), and Moises Mendoza (executed April 23, 2025). Milam was convicted of killing his fiancée’s toddler; Johnson was convicted of a fatal convenience store robbery in Dallas; and Mendoza was put to death for the abduction, rape, and murder of a 20-year-old woman in Collin County.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice continues to maintain updated records regarding the status and history of death row inmates, with full details available through their official state portal.
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