Oct 302012
 

UPDATE II (Nov 1): He’s dead, Jim. Sorry about the late update (I was in the driveway throwing candy and kids and having a few adult beverages with the neighbors), but if you were following along in the comments last night, you heard the good news that final justice has been served.

UPDATE (Oct 31, @13:35): This topic will be pinned to the top of the front page until he’s either dead or stayed. We’re about 4.5 hrs from Roberts’ expiration date.

Donnie Lee Roberts, Jr.

For Halloween, Donnie Lee is dressing up as a corpse. I’m told it’s going to be a very, very convincing costume.

  • Thug:  Donnie Lee Roberts, Jr.  (32 at time of offense)
  • Date of Execution: October 31, 2012, sometime shortly after 6:00 pm HTT  (but well before the kiddos have to go out for trick-or-treating)
  • Date of Crime: October 15, 2003
  • Victim(s): Vickie Bowen, 44
  • Last Meal: Same shit salad being fed to every other thug on the row that day
  • Final Words: ”I’m really sorry. I never meant to cause you all so much pain, I hope you can go on with your life. I loved your daughter. I hope to God he lets me see her in heaven so I can apologize to her and see her and tell her.”

Donnie Lee Roberts, Jr. was an alcoholic and cocaine addict. When his girlfriend, 44-year old Vickie Bowen, refused to give him money (again) to buy (more) cocaine, he shot her twice in the head, killing her.

He then robbed her of what little money she did have, but also took her television, a set of Texans/Titans football tickets, jewelry, a Western Union money order, a .22 rifle, a .22 pistol and her son’s truck.

Later on that day, Roberts was arrested while driving Ms. Bowen’s son’s truck. After being the arrest Roberts confessed to murdering Bowen and stated that he shot Bowen because she would not give him the money to buy cocaine. At the same time, Roberts also admitted that 12 years earlier he had killed a man in Louisiana. Roberts went on to state that while burglarizing the man’s house shot him with a shotgun, then burned the house to hide the murder.

Nice guy, eh?

And his defense as to why he shouldn’t be executed? Can’t be based on innocence — he confessed. So instead he’s going for the always popular “I had a tough childhood” argument. Which, if it was a valid defense to killing innocent people, I’d be a serial-murderer, as I assure you, my childhood was not filled with unicorns and rainbows.

The last time a thug was executed on Halloween: 1981 when Johnny Frank Garrett was executed for raping and killing a nun.

NEXT

After our Halloween treat, the first of three November executions will take place on November 8th, when Mario Swain will be executed for the 2002 robbery and bludgeoning death of 44-year old Lola Nixon.

Email This Post Email This Post Print This Post Print This Post

  101 Responses to “EXECUTION WATCH: Donnie Lee Roberts, Jr.”

  1. Actually he was executed in February 1991 for killing a nun on Halloween.

    According to TDCJ there has not been a Halloween execution since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

  2. Is the execution of Roberts death sentence going to proceed this evening or has he been granted a stay of execution? The guy confessed to committing two murders so I’m sure that Governor Rick Perry will allow the execution to proceed without delay.

    • The sentence is for tomorrow (Halloween), not today.

      The Supreme Court denied certiorari yesterday so unless something really weird happens (and Halloween is weird enough as it is) I expect Roberts to be executed.

    • I would like to meet Gov. Perry and talk to hm about executed bodies. What happens to them, anybody know?

      Wouldn’t be better if the executed people where re-cycled and every useable body part where removed and given to an organ bank to save lives? How many members in the murdered person’s family ?? Multiply that by some 80 body parts including bones, blood and organs. Say a man is murdered and he has a wife, children, parents, siblings, aunts/ uncles, cousins..wouldn’t it be more a USEFUL way for the murderer to payback society with ” his life saving donations “.

  3. What’s up with this one? Family of Man Executed in Texas Seeks Posthumous Pardon. Posted: October 25, 2012 . The family of Cameron Todd Willingham announced they will petition the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant him a posthumous pardon based on new evidence that has emerged since his execution in 2004. Willingham was sentenced to death for the murder of his three children in a housefire in 1991. At his trial, investigators testified that Willingham had intentionally set the fire, but later developments in the science of fire investigation have led experts to believe the fire was accidental. The other evidence presented at Willingham’s trial included the testimony of a jailhouse informant who later recanted his statement that Willingham admitted to the crime. The family’s petition states, “Since his trial, scientific advances have shattered every assumption underlying the testimony of the two fire investigators who declared to the jury and the court that Willingham had set the fire that killed his children. In fact, today, no credible arson expert would make such a declaration.” In a statement, Willingham’s family said, “It was Todd’s last wish that we help clear his name. It’s time for the state of Texas to own up to its mistake and give Todd the justice he deserves.” The Innocence Project in New York has taken the lead in working for Willingham’s exoneration.

  4. How do your fuzzies feel about shitbag mario swain? This one looks like it will proceed due to the cert being denied. One less tax drain, one more win for justice and the taxpayers.

  5. Bones has asked me to express his sincerest apology for not being able to attend tomorrow’s execution of this particular POS.

  6. It took a long time, but I commend the state of South Dakota for executing Donald Moeller.
    Donald Moeller executed 22 years after his crime.

    My deepest sympathy to the family of Becky O’Connell, may the Good Lord grant them peace.
    Mother: Execution brings relief, not closure.

    Tina Curl was so eager to see her 9-year-old daughter’s killer executed Tuesday night that she couldn’t even take her seat in the witness room.

    “I was right up to the glass,” she told The Associated Press after the execution. “I wanted to see it up close.”

    Taking this little girl, abusing her then murdering her after her torment is as atrocious a crime imaginable. May he suffer the tortures of the damned for all eternity.

  7. I hope this shit bag goes down tonite. Selfish SOB, not surprised he used the “shitty childhood” bit, that’s always the excuse unless they are “retards” , “crazy”, or (I love this one), “incompetent” to be executed. Speaking of excuses, anyone read up on TDCJ’S Death row new addition, Steven Nelson? This one is a real piece of work too! He almost needs to be in a worse catagory than capital murder, more like Malicious Capital murder! His lawyers also tried to play the shitty childhood cop out.. but after killing a preacher, in a church,
    During a burglary, the jury made the right decision and said waste him. And what is so sad is that it could have been avoided, at least a little longer, but the social workers on his case from a previous crime deemed him “well” and that his anger problems were under control. Two days later, he kills a preacher. He was evidently a real pain in the ass during the trial while in jail, then chimped out when his sentencing was imposed… Just a real work of art. Can’t wait to see him get the needle… Anyways, fingers crossed on Roberts tonite!

    • But won’t you please consider being under the influence of cocaine an excuse? After all, cocaine does some crazy s*** to one’s physiology… Donnie was begging for money for another fix and she dared not to give it to him. Poor baby had to shoot her. His brain told his hand to pull the trigger… :roll:

      • Robbie,

        What is your view on executing mentally retarded murderers? I see you mention Johnny Garett in your foreword. Apparently he had an IQ of around 70. Interested to hear your views!

        • Do you know the difference between right and wrong? Do you still present a danger to those you come in contact with (regardless of your mental state)? Then you are a sick animal, and the humane thing to do is put you down.

      • The other question I have is your view on Joe Horn. Do you believe Joe Horn should have been tried for Murder? The reason why I ask you is you are fairly consistent when it comes to the application of the Death penalty. However, I would be interested to hear your view on what constitutes the application. I am asking you because you run this website and the other contributors not naming names give me the impression of people who are not prepared to listen to views of others but just insult which is hardly mature!

        • By the way here is the telephone transcript!

          9-1-1 call transcript

          One vital piece of evidence were segments of Mr. Horn’s 9-1-1 calls which could have possibly incriminated Mr. Horn or shown his innocence. The most scrutinized segment is presented below:

          Joe Horn: “I’ve got a shotgun; do you want me to stop them?”

          The Pasadena emergency operator responded: “Nope. Don’t do that. Ain’t no property worth shooting somebody over, O.K.?”

          Mr. Horn said: “But hurry up, man. Catch these guys will you? Cause, I ain’t going to let them go.”

          Mr. Horn then said he would get his shotgun.

          The operator said, “No, no.” But Mr. Horn said: “I can’t take a chance of getting killed over this, O.K.? I’m going to shoot.”

          The operator told him not to go out with a gun because officers would be arriving.

          “O.K.,” Mr. Horn said. “But I have a right to protect myself too, sir,” adding, “The laws have been changed in this country since September the first, and you know it.”

          The operator said, “You’re going to get yourself shot.” But Mr. Horn replied, “You want to make a bet? I’m going to kill them.”

          Moments later he said, “Well here it goes, buddy. You hear the shotgun clicking and I’m going.”

          Then he said: “Move, you’re dead.”

          There were two quick gunshots, then a third.

          “I had no choice,” Mr. Horn said when he got back on the line with the dispatcher. “They came in the front yard with me, man.”

          The 9-1-1 call ended about 80 seconds after the shots were fired, when officers arrived on the scene. [1]

          The bit where he states “I am going to kill them” is interesting!

          I believe that if you are going to have a death penalty then it needs to be applied fairly and consistently. There is a strong arguement that this is not the case in Texas!

        • I wil shamelessly be a budinski here (sorry Robbie):

          People have a misconception that mental retardation is an IQ score alone and you echo that misconception. SCOTUS in the Atkins decision allowed states to make a determination of what constitutes a mental retardation claim while relying heavily on AAIDD and DSM (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The AAIDD is steadfast on defining mental retardation in terms of adaptive functioning issues with onset prior to age 18. They do not consider an IQ score alone AT ALL.

          So to answer your question: someone may have an IQ score of 70 but have no adaptive functioning issues. Just the opposite, this may be the drug dealer who plans and coordinates his sales and takes care of informants by planning and executing their murder. This was a case of recent execution in Texas. That PoS was not book smart but was street savvy SOB with plenty of adaptibility evident.

          To cut my spiel short: IQ score alone does not amount of a bag of beans when adaptive issues are examined. And don’t even get me started on whether someone with IQ of 70 understands their crime!!!!

        • Are you seriously telling me that someone who is mentally retarded has any idea of right or wrong or understanding their crime! This is where proponents of the death penalty start to lose the higher ground. There has to be a compromise. My view is that people who commit pre meditated murder should face death. I have an issue when it comes to murders with grey areas. After all we are talking about taking another life. State Homicide!

          [Reply by Robbie: Yes...that's exactly what I'm telling you. Take for instance the recently executed PoS, Jonathan Green, who also claimed to be retarded. After raping and murdering 12-year old Christina Neal, he knew what he had done was wrong. And how do we know this? Because he tried to hide her body. And when police asked him about the burn pit, he moved her body, knowing they were coming back with a search warrant to search the pit. So yeah...you can have a really low IQ and all sorts of other mental disorders and still know right from wrong.]

        • Again, pay attention to the adaptive functioning issues and not the IQ score alone…

          To answer your question: the guy who murdered his informant understood his criminal enterprise and that he was selling drugs to minors. He knew it was wrong. An IQ of low 70s did not stop him from appreciating that issue. Is it any different then to understand right from wrong in terms of murdering someone? No Sir!!!
          A low IQ does not prevent the understanding that murdering someone (shooting, etc) results in permanent death (excuse the oximoron here, haha). If you read most cases where claim of mental retardation does not meet AAIDD functional analysis standards, even though these guys have low IQ, they possess full undertstanding of what it means to kill someone. I encourage you to read about these cases as well….

        • I forgot about the Green PoS fellow. Good example of how a low IQ does not amount to a bag of beans when adapative issues are looked at. Thanks Robbie!!!:-D

        • I think.you are confusing several things, you are comparing self defense with.murder, and capital murder with whatever you are comparing it to… Capital murder is a murder comitted during the course of another felony…ie. robbery, burglary, rape. Car jacking..etc.. if Roberts had just KILLED his girlfriend and not stole her shit too, then he would probably by doing 25 to life… So that being said, research the number of murders you can find in Texas comited in the last year, and then look at how many end up on death row… Last year about 7 ended up on the row…. I don’t have a clue as to how many murders there were… I got tired of looking…. Point is, thugs sentence9d to death have done some pretty bad shit to end up there… Not just kill people…as for Mr. horn, did he over react?… Maybe… Does he belong on death row???… Most certainly not!!! And if you are trying to substantiate your opinion by the fact he said he was going to kill those two sacks of shit, then here is one for you… If two pricks broke into my house, ..then I’m gonna kill them…I said it… Does it make me guilty if it actually happens???

        • Thomas,

          I guess I won’t be popping into your house for Tea! On a serious note Horn was not acting in self defence. In fact his house was not even being burgled! Did he over react! Damn YES! Should he be punished! Damn YES! As far as I am concerned he shot dead two people and it was not in self defence. I would give you some credit if you in fact achknowledged this! However, far from being punished the extreme wing of the Republican party are in fact celebrating the fact that this guy took the law into his own hands when advised by the operator not to and shot dead two people!

        • Anon dear Brit Sir: I drink my tea with a zing. I don’t think you’d be able to hold it down…:lol:

        • No one argued that Green was mentally retarded. His attys argued that he was mentally ill and therefore could not be executed.

        • Did Horn break the law? No, he did not.

        • Liberty101 with a population of 25 million in 2010[last year I can find figs for} we had a whopping 1200 murders.

  8. I was trying to upload Donnie’s most recent photo but it did not go through. He certainly is on the chubby side when compared to the original from 2004

    • Maybe he likes shit salad…lol… Most of these Assholes do get fat on the row… Kind of lime fattening hogs for the slaughter… Just saying.

  9. LoL your nation is fully loaded with fat ass’s I bed your BMI is far too high as well :-)

  10. You English Anon? If so, the Queen is calling you to kiss her a***, deriere I mean…
    If you’re Canadian by any chance, you are just an American wannabe and probably sorry for those tiny/sh**** roads you guys got over there. :lol:

    • She’s Danish.

    • *poof*

      • I have said this before and will repeat myself again: You Canadians are just American wannabes who are probably pissed at the tiny/shity roads you guys got over there. Se perdre..:lol:

    • Thomas, in case you are wondering where your anonymous deranged fan is posting from, it’s from:
      Country: Canada
      State/Region: Ontario
      City: Mississauga
      Latitude: 43.6
      Longitude: -79.65

      • Thanks for the info no2 liberals. You will see many more insults directed at me now that the amnestyusa antideath penalty thug lovers found me here. I caused quit a stir on those blogs lately and so Julia and friends are pissed. :roll:

      • In 2012 this LITTLE SUBURB of Toronto is destined to borrow big bucks for capital projects that may include doing something with those TINY/SHITY ROADS that I always mention Canadians are “proud of.” I’m sure that this anonymous fellow is pissed off ever single day that the fine SUBURB of Missi-whatever will soon raise property taxes and other fees to repay the debt it will incur.

        Would it not serve him better to worry about those TINY/SHITY roads than to intervere in American matters? But than again, there is nothing to do in Missi I guess…:-D

    • I am Canadian and my roads seem a good size to me. However, I believe in the Death Penalty and I agree with you on most of your comments.

  11. Unless something strange is brewing (and today is Halloween with a full moon recently having happened) Roberts is out of luck. The SCOTUS denied cert earlier this week.

    I have to handle candy-passing duties this evening so I will not be here when the event is announced. But I will be back later.

    • Actually I have moved a computer into the dining room (right next to the front door) so I can join you (on and off) as we await the news.

  12. Denmark, heh? A cursory review of the Copenhagen News, CIA and WHO websites informs that the obesity rate there hovers btw 17 percent for country dwellers and 20.1 percent for urban dwellers. The obesity rate is calculated by WHO in terms of BMI. Considering that Denmark’s population is a little over 5.5 mil, these obesity numbers should be a cause of concern for Anon. :mrgreen:

  13. Statistic confirms you really are the fatasses:

    Obesity prevalence in 2011 varies across states and regions
    By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi in 2011. No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. 39 states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states had a prevalence of 30% or more: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
    The South had the highest prevalence of obesity (29.5%), followed by the Midwest (29.0%), the Northeast (25.3%) and the West (24.3%).

    • Judging by your comments and behavior here, you definitely have the fattest head, fatty head. :lol:

      • So what Anon? You Brits kiss the Queens ass every single day. And besides, I’d prefer my good ol’ American Diet than those fish and chips one can starve on. I stand corrected – one needs a tiny ass to fit into one of those apartmentsin London…

    • So your argument is that since we’re a nation of “fatasses” this POS has the right to murder people?!

    • The south also has the highest percentage of African Americans. On the average, they appear to be more susceptible to becoming obese so maybe there should be a sliding scale according to race. See: In U.S., Blacks Most Likely to Be Very Obese, Asians Least
      http://www.gallup.com/poll/155735/blacks-likely-obese-asians-least.aspx

  14. And with under three hours to go we are once again flooded by Euroweenie thug lovers who have somehow managed to turn this thread into a discussion of who should be on the next season of The Biggest Loser.

    While all y’all debate how much Halloween candy we should consume, Roberts needs to prepare himself for the fright fest he shall soon face.

    • Let’s all start playing the Monster Bash at 6 pm. That is a good song that may be fitting for this execution…

  15. Good evening to everyone. Hope you all are having a nice day.

    We will get rid of Donnie…SOON! :mrgreen:

  16. It is now 11 minutes past the appointed hour (6PM HTT) so the procedure should be starting.

    By 7PM we should know something.

  17. He’s dead.

    • Do we know for sure that he’s dead I don’t know how to refresh this page,so I’m wondering?are we sure?

      • You can hit the normal refresh button (it looks line a circle with an arrow and it is next to the X button–don’t hit that one or you will be off the page and have to return).

  18. Is he dead?i have checked on him from time to time ,I don’t know how to refresh this page,but do we know 4 a fact he’s dead

    • I’m checking some news sites but it’s hard to find info (as all the MSM is opposed to the death penalty).

  19. He is dead 100%

  20. I just looked at another source and it’s confirmed HE IS DEAD DEAD DEAD

  21. I use google,,, Thug name + execution and refresh that. Oklahoma came out with news first. They have a few slated for the gurney as well coming up

  22. He’s dead. TRICK OR TREAT?!

  23. Yeehaw!!! One less murdering POS on the row, whose next? lets line them up & get er done LOL. Man I hate it when those euro-housewives try to inject their off kilter political views upon us, too bad they wouldn’t import all convicted U.S. murderers to Denmark. You want to save them so damn badly, reimburse the USA for the cost of their crime & prosecution. You’d be welcome to them as far as I’m concerned but if they ever return they should be subject to be shot upon confirmation of their identity. Just remember: No refunds or exchanges under any circumstances! What do you say, wanna make a deal to trade for USA murderers? We’re all well aware that Atlantic Slave Traders had duped the American colonists & killed two birds using a single stone. The African/Caribbean Slaves that were traded to American Colonists were criminals & other undesirables, African tribal leaders rid their lands of many criminals, relieving the burden from their society while at the same time established a profitable new trade arrangement with the Colonial Americans. I’d guess that African Americans & Blacks in general are the most violent & criminally inclined because it’s a hereditary trait that was exported from Africa/Caribbean to the Americas

    • that’s harsh on Africans…most unfair,,your comment

      • It’s the truth! Sorry if the truth is unfair but that’s the nature of truth. The truth doesn’t seek our approval nor the need to conform to political correctness, it is what it is. In this age of political correctness, affirmative action & dumbing down America, we’re being conditioned to passively make excuses for the incompetent & for murderous POS that should have been executed years ago. Sorry that I’m not an ostrich that refuses to see & acknowledge the truth nor am I a black sheep (misfit) that’s going to play the system which encourages my dependence upon government assistance. A ray of golden sunshine illuminating reality without manipulation, that’s the truth, REALITY WITHOUT MANIPULATION OF AN AGENDA!!! Deal with the truth rather that denying it or manipulating it to fit your brainwashed philosophy. I didn’t export African criminals to Colonial America nor do I support an agenda to hide or twist historic facts in order that history is perceived to be politically correct. I’m telling the truth, I’ve no agenda to further because the truth doesn’t need an agenda. Just so there’s no unspoken accusations of racism & I know you’ll answer incorrectly, ponder this question for a few moments. What do you believe my race to be?

        • Are you Martian? :mrgreen:

        • No; But your warm & I’m not Vulcan. Jupiter’s moon Europa looks like a nice place to be from but I’m not Europaean LOL. Iz a mutt

      • Personally I’d prefer to be from Neptune’s Triton just because it’s doing a retrograde orbit. I like opposite directions as well. :lol:

  24. No more victims for this Halloween monster.
    Since Bones and I were needed elsewhere a tribute to DLR’s overdue demise.

  25. Can you believe this PoS said to the victim’s father, I quote “I loved your daughter.” It seems to me that the term was totally inappropriate to use. It’s like a domestic violence perpetrator smacking his wife because “I love you so honey.”

    • Evidently, he loved cocaine more….what an asshole… He won’t see her where he is going!

      • should have instead shot himself in the head, he would have saved many people a world of grief & the Court from wasting their time. Good night Donnie, enjoy your eternal dirt nap

    • *poof*

      • Thomas Rykala always uses his name whenever he posts, don’t you know this by now you incognito low-life Canadian. Afraid to reveal an identity liberal softie. Can you afford anything down there. Take that leave off of your flag and wipe yourself.

        Now, why don’t you go and hug a thug together with Brian Evans. :lol:

  26. Donnie is finally out of our lives! I’m engaged to Vickie Bowen’s son. We will be married in March. Donnie took away a beautiful woman from us. She is missing out on so many things a mother should be around to witness. She missed the birth of her only grandchild, and the acomplishments her son has made, and the engagement of her only child. She will be forever missed. Justice was served and this vicous cold blooded killer is now off this planet. Donnie Roberts will not be seeing Vickie in heaven and when he made that comment as they were witnessing really upset the family. Donnie had 9 long years to apologize and repent for what he did. He showed no remorse or sorrow for killing Vickie at any of the hearings for trial. He apologized to the family only as a last ditch effort to get in good for the lord. Donnie is not forgiven and will not be forgiven. He was not genuine and never cared. We are very satisfied in the legal system and ready to put this all behind us and move on.

  27. Shameless bump to update for new updated TDCJ list:

    http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/death_row/dr_scheduled_executions.html

    Notable info:

    Avila’s December execution has now been delayed to April 2013.

    Two new ones added: Ronnie Threadgill 04/16/2013 (I heard about this one over on the dark side but had no confirmation) and Douglas Feldman all the way out to 07/31/2013 (he must have some current appeals going; July heat will be downright cold compared to his final destination).

    I remember the Feldman case; for a while I had contact on another message board with the brother of the truck driver he killed.

  28. EAT SHIT AND DIE YOU RABBIT TURD

 Leave a Reply

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>