Adrian
Moises Sandoval Mendoza, 41, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening at the Huntsville state penitentiary in Texas. He was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m., according to The Associated Press. Mendoza was convicted for the brutal 2004 murder of 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, a young mother whose life was tragically cut short.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice detailed that Mendoza attended a party at Tolleson’s home in Farmersville days before the murder. On the day of the crime, he choked and sexually assaulted Tolleson before stabbing her in the throat and dragging her body to a field behind his house. Mendoza later transported her remains to a rural dirt pit in Collin County, where he set her body on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and buried her under a brush pile.
Tolleson’s 6-month-old daughter was discovered unharmed the following day by her grandmother. Mendoza’s friend alerted authorities after learning of the crime, leading to the discovery of Tolleson’s body, which was identified through dental records. Mendoza eventually confessed to the murder, though the motive remains unclear.
Prior to this crime, Mendoza had a history of violent behavior, including attacking female family members and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, according to The Associated Press.
Mendoza’s appeals for a stay of execution and a writ of certiorari were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also rejected his request for clemency earlier in the week. The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) noted that Mendoza’s previous appeals attorney had not provided ineffective counsel, as alleged.
Advocates from TCADP highlighted Mendoza’s transformation during his two decades in prison, describing him as an empathic man of faith who positively influenced those around him, including guards, chaplains, and wardens. He earned certificates in various self-improvement and faith-based programs and maintained meaningful relationships with his family.
Mendoza was the third person executed in Texas this year and the thirteenth nationwide in 2023.
**Sources:**
[The Associated Press](https://apnews.com)
[Texas Department of Criminal Justice](https://www.tdcj.texas.gov)
[Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty](https://www.tcadp.org)
