Arthur Brown: Man put to death for 1992 murders defiantly maintained innocence just before execution
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS: A man on death row in Texas for the murder of four people has insisted on his innocence until his execution. Arthur Brown Jr, 52, was executed by lethal injection Thursday, March 9 at Huntsville State Penitentiary. He was convicted in the June 1992 deaths of four people in a Houston home during a drug robbery.
Seconds before his death in Texas, Brown remained adamant in his denial of guilt and claimed that the justice system and the prosecution had blocked him from accessing crucial evidence that would have proven his innocence that night, reports Mirror. He was associated with a drug ring that transported narcotics from Texas to Alabama. He had bought drugs from José Tovar and his wife Rachel.
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Who is Arthur Brown Jr?
In December 1993, 52-year-old Brown was convicted of the deaths of 21-year-old Audrey Brown, 32-year-old José Tovar, and 19-year-old Jessica Quinones, then pregnant. Prosecutors say Brown was a member of a drug ring and a Houston couple who acted as middlemen were the targets of the murders, News Week claims.
Rachel Tovar, Jose’s wife, and Nicholas Cortez, a friend who entered the home at the time of the shooting, were also shot in the attack. Three men were convicted of the murders, and Brown was one of them. The Texas Observer said Anthony Dunson was serving a life sentence and Marion Dudley was put to death by lethal injection in 2006 for his part. All three men have consistently asserted their innocence. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Brown was pronounced dead at 6:37 a.m. local time (TDCJ). He was executed in Huntsville, Texas, according to KTRK correspondent Courtney Fischer, who was on hand for the incident.
The last words of Arthur Brown Jr.
He was pronounced dead at 6:37 p.m. in the Huntsville unit. pic.twitter.com/NO7QzEB4ya
— Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) March 10, 2023
What were Authur Brown’s last words?
Brown reiterated his claim of innocence in the case as he made his final remarks, saying that if he died, “Texas will kill a second innocent man for a murder that occurred in 1992.” He said in his last words, “What is happening here tonight is not justice, it is the killing of an innocent man for a murder that took place in 1992.” Brown continued: “For the past 30 years I have proven my innocence in court, but the courts blocked me and then denied me access to ballistics for 20 years; I proved that the facts and ballistics were wrong. My co-defendant was executed in 2006 and if I’m innocent, he was innocent and they killed an innocent man, and the state doesn’t want the truth to come out.” He concluded: “Tonight Texas will kill a second innocent man for a murder that occurred in 1992. I have no other words,” as quoted by Mirror.
Brown was the fifth prisoner executed in Texas
Reports say Brown was the fifth prisoner executed in Texas this year and the ninth in the United States. It was the second of two executions in Texas this week. Gary Green, another inmate, was executed on Tuesday for the murder of his ex-wife and young daughter.
Many people, including business leaders, spoke of saving Brown from death days before his execution. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson detailed his thoughts and urged people to sign a petition to help save the man. “For Mr. Brown, this move may come too late. His life is at stake,” the business magnate wrote. “And the courts in Texas must stay the execution to allow for DNA testing and for Mr. Brown’s new attorneys to present evidence of his innocence. The good people of Texas should not accept the death of an innocent man. “
Three members of Jessica Quinones’ family, including her mother, who witnessed Brown’s execution, released a statement in which they described the day as one of “profound relief and gratitude” rather than joy or of celebration. “After 30 years of anguish and uncertainty, we can finally rest knowing that the monster that destroyed so many lives will never again torment the body or soul of another,” they said, quoted by the New York Post.
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