A grieving father shouted three words in anguish as the individual who murdered his son was put to death. Charles Victor Thompson, aged 55, became the first person in the United States to face execution this year for the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend and her new partner. The double murderer, who had previously escaped from prison, was executed 28 years after committing the heinous act. Thompson spent close to three decades on death row following the killing of Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and Darren Keith Cain, 30, in April 1998.

As the killer pleaded for forgiveness from the families of his victims moments before his death, Mr. Cain’s father had a different response, stating, “He’s in hell.” Before his execution, a spiritual advisor offered prayers for three minutes, and Thompson acknowledged, “There are no winners in this situation.” Expressing regret, he acknowledged the lasting trauma caused by his actions and urged the importance of faith.

Following the administration of the lethal injection, the murderer gasped loudly, breathing heavily before succumbing to death 22 minutes later. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare reflected, “This chapter is closed. It was justice a long time coming.”

Thompson had a prior romantic involvement with Ms. Hayslip in the mid-1990s, but their relationship ended due to his possessiveness and abuse. Ms. Hayslip began dating Mr. Cain thereafter, leading to the tragic events in Houston, Texas, where Thompson fatally shot them during an argument.

Prosecutors emphasized the prolonged wait for justice by the Hayslip and Cain families over 25 years. Thompson’s initial death sentence was overturned, leading to a new sentencing trial in 2005 where the jury once again ordered his execution by lethal injection. Following resentencing, Thompson managed to escape from the Harris County Jail by simply walking out the front door.