Texas Appeals Court Halts Execution of Serial Killer David Leonard Wood

The execution of David Leonard Wood, a 67-year-old Texas death row inmate, has been stayed by a Texas appeals court, granting him a reprieve just days before his scheduled lethal injection. Wood, who has spent nearly 33 years incarcerated for the brutal murders of six young women and girls in 1987, was set to be executed this week for the crimes that terrorized El Paso and earned him the moniker "The Desert Killer."

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a brief, three-page order on Tuesday halting the execution "until further order," without providing specific reasoning for the stay. The decision was made by a majority of the court, with six of the nine judges voting in favor of the delay. Judges Mary Lou Keel and Gina Parker dissented, opposing the stay, while Judge Bert Richardson, who presided over all of Wood’s appeals in the trial court since 2011, recused himself from the decision.

This is not the first time Wood has faced the specter of imminent execution only to be granted a stay. In 2009, his execution was halted a mere 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place, following claims that he suffered from intellectual disability, which would render him ineligible for execution under U.S. Supreme Court precedent. However, a judge later rejected those claims, paving the way for the state to once again set an execution date.

The crimes for which Wood was convicted shocked the El Paso community. In 1987, the bodies of six young women and girls were discovered buried in shallow graves in the desert northeast of the city. The victims were identified as Rosa Casio and Ivy Williams, both 23; Karen Baker, 21; Angelica Frausto, 17; Desiree Wheatley, 15; and Dawn Smith, 14. The case remained unsolved for several years, fueling fear and speculation among residents.

The break in the case came when authorities say Wood bragged to a cellmate about being the "Desert Killer," leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction. Prosecutors presented evidence that Wood lured the victims into his vehicle under the guise of offering them a ride, then drove them to the remote desert location where he sexually assaulted and murdered them.

In addition to the six confirmed victims, two other girls and a young woman were reported missing during the same period and were never found. Law enforcement officials suspect that Wood may have been responsible for their disappearances as well, though they were never able to definitively link him to those cases.

Despite overwhelming evidence and his conviction, Wood has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that he was wrongly accused of the crimes. "I did not do it. I am innocent of this case. I’ll fight it," Wood stated in recent court documents filed as part of his appeals.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed that Wood will remain in their custody at the Polunsky Unit, a maximum-security prison that houses the state’s death row inmates. The Polunsky Unit is notorious for its restrictive conditions and the psychological toll it takes on those incarcerated there.

Wood’s case is not the only execution that has been recently halted. On the same day, a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the state’s scheduled execution of a death row inmate using nitrogen gas, a method that has been criticized as potentially cruel and unusual. The Louisiana execution was set to take place next week and would have been the first execution in the U.S. using nitrogen gas.

The reasons behind the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision to stay Wood’s execution remain unclear, but it is likely related to ongoing legal challenges to his conviction or sentence. Common grounds for appeals in death penalty cases include claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, or the presentation of new evidence that could cast doubt on the defendant’s guilt.

The delay in Wood’s execution offers a temporary reprieve for him and his legal team, allowing them more time to pursue potential avenues for relief. However, the victims’ families must endure further uncertainty, as they have waited decades for justice to be served in this horrific case. The legal battle surrounding Wood’s fate is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, raising complex questions about capital punishment, justice, and the rights of the accused.

The Associated Press contributed to portions of this report.