64-Year-Old Prisoner Executed For Wife’s Murder In 2005, Apologizes To Her Family

A 64-year-old prisoner at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas was executed via lethal injection on Wednesday. The convict, in his last words, apologized to the victim’s family for his heinous crime.

The prisoner, 64-year-old John Gardner, had been accused of shooting his wife Tammy Gardner in Jan. 2005. It was reported that Tammy was sick and was lying in bed when John broke into her house and shot her. She had died in the hospital after a couple of days.

The local media reported that the inmate, John, when asked if he had any last words, said, “I would like to say sorry for your grief. I hope what I’m doing today will give you peace, joy, closure, whatever it takes to forgive. I am sorry. I know you cannot forgive me, but I hope one day you will.”

The convict’s attorney had appealed to the Supreme Court against capital punishment and had stated that the convict suffered from a mental disorder that caused him to attack his wife. The motion was denied and the lethal injection was administered Wednesday.

John had been convicted multiple times with his earlier wives. The local reports suggested that John was involved in multiple acts of violence including shooting, abducting and assault with his four wives. Tammy was the accused's fifth wife.

The local reports had suggested that the victim’s family members had told the court that Tammy was afraid of John and wanted to divorce him but feared for her life. It was later reported that John had borrowed money from Tammy’s company for the divorce but about a week before it was finalized, John broke into Tammy’s house and killed her.