Moises Mendoza execution was carried out Wednesday morning at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, marking a painful chapter for the loved ones of his victim, 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson. Mendoza, 40, was sentenced to death for the brutal killing of Rachelle, who was a new mother to her six-month-old baby, Avery.
Before receiving the lethal injection, Mendoza addressed Rachelle’s family—her parents, siblings, cousin, and uncle—through a window separating the witness rooms. “I am sorry for having robbed you of Rachelle’s life,” he said with deep regret. He also expressed sorrow toward Avery, the child who lost her mother far too soon. “Nothing I say or do can make it right. I just want you to know I am truly sorry,” Mendoza added.
Moises Mendoza Execution: A Tragic End to a Long Wait
During the Moises Mendoza execution, his final words were also directed to his own loved ones—his wife, sister, and two close friends who watched from a separate room. Speaking in Spanish, he said, “I love you, I am with you, I am well and at peace.” He was pronounced dead 19 minutes after the injection was administered, becoming the third person executed in Texas this year, and the 13th in the U.S.
Rachelle’s tragic story began in March 2004, when Mendoza entered her home in Farmersville, northeast of Dallas. At the time, she was going through a divorce and living alone with her baby. Luring her into his car under the pretense of buying cigarettes, Mendoza instead drove her to a secluded field, where he sexually assaulted and then strangled her.
Moises Mendoza Execution: Pain, Remorse, and Unanswered Questions
Following the murder, Mendoza initially left Rachelle’s body in the field but later moved it near a remote creek as law enforcement began their search. Her body was found badly burned, an apparent attempt by Mendoza to hide evidence. Dental records confirmed her identity.
In a disturbing confession, Mendoza admitted to the crime but failed to provide a motive. “I don’t know what came over me—I became the devil,” he wrote in a letter to his parents. According to Rachelle’s mother, Pam O’Neil, the two had known each other since grade school and had even been at the same party just days before the murder.
Pam, speaking to CBX Texas ahead of the execution, said she could never forgive him. “I lost my daughter 21 years ago to a brutal murder,” she said. “My heart goes out to his family—they’re losing a son and a brother—but I don’t forgive him.”
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Source: www.inquisitr.com
