A Texas man facing execution spent his final moments apologizing to the victim's family and telling his wife he loved her.
Moises Sandoval Mendoza, 41, was executed Wednesday for strangling and stabbing to death 20-year-old Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson in 2004, The Associated Press reported. Mendoza died via lethal injection and was declared dead at 6:40 p.m.
The Associated Press reported that Mendoza spoke to each member of Tolleson's family by name before the execution, repeatedly apologizing.
"I am sorry for having robbed you of Rachelle's life," the AP reported he said. "I'm sorry for that. I know nothing that I could ever say or do would ever make up for that. I want you to know that I am sincere. I apologize."
Th AP reported that Mendoza also addressed his own family in Spanish moments before his death. His words were translated as: "I love you, I am with you, I am well and at peace. You know that I'm well, and everything is love."
Mendoza confessed to the murder. At the time, Tolleson was home alone with her 5-month-old daughter.
Quoting court documents, the Texas Tribune reported that Mendoza took Tolleson from the home, raped her, murdered her, and left her body in a field. Later, Mendoza moved Tolleson and then burned her body, the newspaper reported.
