LeJames Norman, 40, was executed in Texas on Wednesday evening for killing three people during a failed 2005 burglary in Edna. He received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his attorneys’ request to stop the execution. Norman declined to make a final statement when asked by the warden. He was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m. after a physician examined him.
Norman had pleaded guilty to capital murder in the deaths of Samuel Roberts, 24, Tiffani Peacock, 18, and Celso Lopez, 38. A second man convicted in the killings, Ker’Sean Ramey, is scheduled to be executed the following week. Norman’s execution was the fifth carried out in Texas this year.
| Article Subheadings | |
|---|---|
| 1) | Execution carried out in Huntsville |
| 2) | The 2005 Edna killings |
| 3) | Arrest, plea and legal proceedings |
| 4) | Norman’s final moments and witnesses |
| 5) | Separate Georgia execution halted |
Execution carried out in Huntsville
LeJames Norman was put to death Wednesday evening at the Texas penitentiary in Huntsville. The execution followed his conviction for three killings committed during a 2005 robbery attempt in Edna, a city about 100 miles southwest of Houston.
The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from Norman’s attorneys to halt it. Texas administered a lethal injection containing pentobarbital. Norman was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m., following a physician’s examination about 30 minutes after the drug was given.
The 2005 Edna killings
Court records said Norman and Ker’Sean Ramey went to a home in Edna believing cocaine was inside. Their stated objective was to steal the drugs, but they did not find any cocaine at the residence.
The three victims, Samuel Roberts, Tiffani Peacock and Celso Lopez, were inside the home they shared when they were fatally shot. Roberts was 24, Peacock was 18 and Lopez was 38 at the time of the killings.
Arrest, plea and legal proceedings
Norman was arrested approximately five months after the murders while attempting to cross from Mexico back into the United States. The arrest ended the search for him in connection with the Edna killings.
He later pleaded guilty to capital murder. Because of that plea, a jury was left to determine whether he would receive a death sentence. Ramey was also convicted in the killings and sentenced to death, with his execution scheduled for the following week.
Norman’s final moments and witnesses
In the execution chamber, Norman lay on a thin mattress placed on a steel table and looked toward a window. When the warden asked whether he wanted to make a final statement, Norman shook his head and said nothing.
His sister, two of his children and a friend witnessed the execution. No relatives or friends of the three victims attended as witnesses. After receiving the lethal dose, Norman took several deep breaths, appeared to yawn and made several snoring sounds before he stopped moving.
Separate Georgia execution halted
A separate execution scheduled in Georgia for Stacey Humphreys was halted in a late-night decision on Tuesday. Humphreys had been convicted of killing two real estate agents.
His attorneys sought a delay based on a new state law that allows victims of childhood abuse to seek sentence reductions. A judge stopped the execution while that legal issue was considered. The Georgia case was separate from Norman’s execution in Texas.
| No. | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | LeJames Norman was executed in Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday evening. |
| 2 | He was convicted of killing three people during a failed 2005 burglary in Edna. |
| 3 | Norman declined to make a final statement before receiving a lethal injection. |
| 4 | The U.S. Supreme Court rejected his attorneys’ request to stop the execution. |
| 5 | A separate execution in Georgia was halted after a judge granted a delay request. |
Summary
Texas carried out the execution of LeJames Norman for the 2005 killings of three people in Edna. Norman had pleaded guilty to capital murder and was executed after the Supreme Court declined to intervene. His execution occurred as a separate death penalty case in Georgia was temporarily halted over a legal challenge involving childhood abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was LeJames Norman executed?
Norman was executed after being convicted and sentenced to death for fatally shooting three people during a failed burglary in Edna, Texas, in 2005.
Did Norman make a final statement?
No. When the warden asked whether he wanted to make a final statement, Norman shook his head and did not speak.
Who witnessed the execution?
Norman’s sister, two of his children and a friend witnessed the execution. No relatives or friends of the victims witnessed it.
What happened in the separate Georgia case?
A judge halted the scheduled execution of Stacey Humphreys after his attorneys requested a delay under a new law concerning sentence reductions for victims of childhood abuse.