Anthony Guy Fuentes #59

2004 Executions - Anthony Guy Fuentes: #59 murderer executed in U.S. in 2004.
Executed 11/17/2004 in Texas by Lethal Injection.

Summary of the Murder: On November 15, 1996, Fuentes was convicted and sentenced to death for the capital murder of Robert Tate during a Houston convenience store robbery. A summary of the evidence presented at trial follows.

Statistical Data:

Murderer - Anthony Guy Fuentes

• Date of Birth - 11/5/1974
  
• Race - Hispanic
  
• Sex - Male
  
• Age when crime committed - 19
  
• Age when executed -
  
• Date of Sentence - 11/15/1996

Victim - Robert Preston Tate

• Date of Murder - 2/18/1994
  
• Race - White
  
• Sex - Male
  
• Age when murdered - 28
  
• Method of Murder - Handgun
  
• Relationship to Murderer - None

Facts of the Crime: February 18, 1994, Fuentes and three accomplices robbed the Handi Food Mart in north Houston. Fuentes and one of his companions brandished pistols. Robert Tate, who had been drinking beer with friends in the parking lot of the store, chased one of the bandits when he left the store with two cases of beer. Tate grabbed the man, and the robber dropped the beer. Just then, Fuentes ran out of the store and shot Tate twice in the chest. Tate died in a ditch across the street from the store.

Testimony in the Case: Julio Flores, a friend of Tate, testified at the at the trial and identified Fuentes as Tate’s murderer. Accomplice Templeton also testified at the trial identifying Fuentes.

Bullets recovered from Tate’s body were consistent with those used in a 9 millimeter weapon, which are most commonly semiautomatic. Testimony at the trial indicated that Fuentes used a semi-automatic gun during the robbery.

Prior Criminal History: In January 1992, Fuentes, armed with a shotgun, shot a man in the leg. Fuentes pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge and served a year in the Harris County Jail for the shooting.

In March 1994, Fuentes shot a man in the back while the victim was sitting in a car. Fuentes was placed on probation after pleading guilty to an attempted murder charge for the shooting.

Procedural History:

• April 23, 1996 — A Harris County grand jury indicted Anthony Fuentes for the capital murder of Robert Tate.
  
• November 13,1996 — A jury found Fuentes guilty of capital murder and following a separate punishment hearing, the court assessed a sentence of death.
  
• April 28, 1999 — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Fuentes’ conviction and sentence.
  
• November 29, 1999 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied Fuentes’ petition for certiorari review.
  
• October 26, 1998 — Fuentes filed an application for writ of habeas corpus in the state trial court.
  
• September 13, 2000 — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied habeas relief.
  
• November 14, 2001 — Fuentes filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in a U.S. district court in Houston.
  
• March 28, 2003 — The federal district court denied habeas relief.
  
• February 11, 2004 — The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Fuentes permission to appeal
  
• June 2, 2004 — Fuentes petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari review.
  
• October 4, 2004 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied Fuentes’ petition.
  
• June 30, 2004 — The trial court entered an order setting the execution date for November 17, 2004.

The Execution:

Final Meal: Fried chicken with biscuits and jalapeno peppers, steak and french fries, fajita tacos, pizza, a hamburger, water and Coca-Cola.

Final Words: "Sorry that I have to put my family through this. To everybody else, the truth will be known. It didn't come out in time to save my life. But when it comes out I hope it stops this. It is wrong for the prosecutors to lie and make witnesses say what they need them to say. The truth has always been there. I just hope everybody has their peace. Today I get mine."

The lethal injection was then administered. Fuentes was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m.