HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A paid hit man was executed Tuesday night in Texas for gunning down a San Antonio woman in a life insurance scheme nearly a quarter-century ago. Ruiz, strapped to the Texas death chamber gurney, looked directly at two sisters of his victim and their husbands and apologized profusely. They also contended Ruiz’s execution would be unconstitutionally cruel because he’s been on death row since 1995, had multiple execution dates and two reprieves. Justice Stephen Breyer said he would have stopped the execution to further examine the question of prolonged death row confinement. RelatedRuiz had met Mark Rodriguez at the home of a mutual friend, was arrested nine days after the shooting and implicated the brothers.

Source: National Post March 08, 2017 15:18 UTC