Death row inmate Oscar Smith was executed by lethal injection on Thursday for the killing of his wife and her teenage sons back in 1989.
Smith received a lethal injection of phenobarbital and was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. local time. Up until his death, the man had maintained his innocence.
Amy Harwell, Smith’s attorney, told media outlets that he will not receive an autopsy due to his religious beliefs.
Smith was originally scheduled to be executed in 2022 but that came to a halt after it was determined that the lethal drugs to be used for that execution had not been tested properly.
The Murders
On October 1, 1989, Smith was charged with fatally shooting and stabbing his estranged wife, Judith Smith, and her teenage sons, 16-year-old Chad Burnett and 13-year-old Jason Burnett.
A year later, he was sentenced to death.
In 2022, requests to reopen the case were denied by a court judge despite new evidence that suggested the murder weapons were wielded by an unknown person.
In the trial, a couple of Smith’s co-workers had testified that he had solicited them to kill his estranged wife. They also said he had a history of threatening and assaulting her and her sons.
Before their deaths, Smith had also taken out life insurance policies on them. On the night of the murder, one of the teens could also be heard yelling his name in the background of a 911 call.
The Family Speaks Out
Judith Smith’s sister and brother were present at the execution and later spoke to reporters, saying they still carry the pain of losing their sister and nephews.
Her sister, Terri Osborne, said the tragic loss highlights the devastating impact of domestic violence.
She stated that “no one should have to live in fear” and hopes that case will encourage those in similar situations to seek help before it’s too late.
Death Penalty Opponents Gather
Several protesters gathered outside the Texas prison, including Christina Isbell, who said she opposes the death penalty. She believes that “even if someone commits a horrible crime,” they shouldn’t be sentenced to death.
On the opposite side, William Burgess stood alone in a fenced-off area – he was the only visible supporter of the death penalty at the scene.
Burgess said he once owned a car lot across from the family’s home and was among the first to arrive after the murders. Speaking about Smith, he said that “he lived too long” and called him “a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
