Willie Tyrone Trottie became the eighth man to be executed this year in Texas via lethal injection for the double murder of his former common-law wife and her brother two decades ago. 

On the week of his 45th birthday, Trottie was executed via lethal injection on Wednesday in Huntsville, Texas. His appeals to have his death sentence overturned were rejected by the High Court just 90 minutes before the injection was carrried out.

Like Us on Facebook

Trottie's lawyers attempted to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that his legal representation at the time of his trial in 1993 did not properly present his case for self-defense--a claim that, if believed by the court, could spare the suspect from the death penalty.  

He said that although he did kill Barbara Canada and her brother Titus in 1992, he did it because the latter fired at him first. He was merely trying to defend himself when Barbara was shot during the struggle.

However, multiple eye witnesses reported seeing him going to the Canada's with his gun, which signified his intent to do them harm.

His lawyers also tried to add that his defense at the original trial did not present evidence relating to the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his mother and the foster care system until he was taken in by his father in Louisianna.

The Supreme Court also threw out Trottie's civil case relating to the dose of pentobarbital, the drug used in the lethal injection, that would be administered to him. He attempted to argue that the dose was past its due date and would subject him to unnecesary pain.

The state argued that Trottie's self-defense claim had already been rejected in the past, and any more appeal he was trying to make to obtain details of the drug, petobarbital, were only perceived as delaying tactics to obtain information on the pharmacy that produces the drug for prison officials.

Despite his attempts to overturn or delay his death sentence, the execution went as scheduled. Trottie was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. on September 10.  

Before the lethal injection was admisistered, Trottie spent time with his father and said that he was prepared to meet the Lord and asked for forgiveness. 

TagsTexas, lethal injection, Willie Trottie, Double Murder