Mexican Citizen Edgar Tamayo Execution The US state of Texas has executed a Mexican for murder, despite objections from the US and Mexican governments. Mexico argued the execution of Edgar Tamayo, 46, would violate international law, because he was not told of his right to seek legal assistance from the Mexican consulate when he was arrested. US Secretary of State John Kerry made the rare move of asking Texas to delay the execution. But it went ahead, after a last minute appeal to the US Supreme Court failed. The execution initially scheduled for 18:00 local time on Wednesday (midnight GMT on Thursday) was delayed as prison officials awaited word from the US Supreme Court over an appeal to keep Tamayo alive. The Supreme Court subsequently announced it had denied a stay of execution. Tamayo declined to make a final statement before he was injected with pentobarbital at Huntsville prison. He was pronounced dead 17 minutes later at 21:32 (03:32 GMT Thursday). The execution was witnessed by the mother and four other relatives of his victim. Tamayo never looked toward Gaddis' mother, two brothers and two other relatives who watched through a window. "He's a coward just like when he shot my brother in the back of the head and he died a coward," Glen Gaddis said. There were several dozen police officers and supporters of the slain patrolman were revving their motorcycles outside of the prison before witnesses were let inside the death chamber. Tamayo selected no witnesses of his own. "A little bit of my shredded heart is feeling better," the officer's mother, Gayle, said. The execution came after the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts rejected last-day appeals and Texas officials spurned arguments that Tamayo's case was tainted because he wasn't informed, under an international agreement, that he could get legal help from the Mexican consulate after his arrest for the officer's slaying.

• published: 23 Jan 2014
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