Texas death row prisoner's chilling last words as he's executed for murder - Daily News #Texas, #death, #prisoner, #chilling, #last, #words, #executed, #murder /form  A Texas death row prisoner groaned that he could taste a lethal drug in his throat as he was executed for murder.   Christopher Young said the deadly drug felt like it was burning inside his body as he was put to death.  He said just minutes before falling silent and drawing his last breath: “I can taste it in my throat.”  The 34-year-old fatally shot a convenience store owner during a robbery, and was executed by lethal injection despite pleas for clemency from victim Hasmukh Patel’s son and capital punishment opponents.  In his final statement, released by state officials, Young said: “I want to make sure the Patel family knows I love them like they love me.  “Make sure the kids in the world know I’m being executed and those kids I’ve been mentoring keep this fight going.  “I’m good, warden.”  Young - who had released a video in a final plea to be spared - was convicted of murdering Mr Patel, 55, at a convenience store in San Antonio, Texas in November 2004, and sentenced to death.  The lethal dose was administered at Texas’ state penitentiary in Huntsville on Tuesday evening.   It began at 6:13pm local time and Young soon complained about the effects of the drug, wrote San Antonio Express-News reporter Emilie Eaton, who served as an official witness to the execution.  He said “I can taste it in my throat”, adding that it burned, the journalist reported.  Young opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling and then closed his eyes before mumbling incomprehensible words, Ms Eaton added.  He was pronounced dead at 6.38pm.  Recently, a number of death row inmates in the US have complained of a burning feeling while being put to death by lethal injection.  In a statement afterwards, Mr Patel’s adult children Mitesh and Rinal said: “When we as a family look back on what Hasmukh stood for, and the values that he instilled in his family, we can look for the good in people; including looking at the good in Christopher Young.  “The man that was executed today by the State of Texas was not the same man that killed Hasmukh Patel.  “Christopher was a father to his daughters, and a man who desired to break the chain of gang violence through mentorship.”  A number of groups had argued for clemency, and the calls were backed by Mitesh Patel, who wanted Young’s sentenced to be commuted to life in prison.  Mitesh Patel said Young had shown contrition over the murder and was working to help others avoid a life of crime or gangs.  He told a rally last week that the execution would not “take us toward any positive outcome”.  Lawyers for the African-American man filed a last-minute appeal, arguing that race was a factor in the decision this month by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny a request to halt the execution. Read More Top Stories from Mirror Online  The board had recommended clemency in a similar case earlier this year that involved a white death row inmate, the lawyers pointed out.  But a US district court

• published: 18 Jul 2018
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