Additional Coverage:
- Man on death row gouges out own eyes and eats them in desperate bid to avoid execution (irishstar.com)
A Texas death row inmate, Andre Thomas, convicted of the 2004 murders of his estranged wife, their four-year-old son, and his wife’s 13-month-old daughter, has had his April 5, 2023 execution date rescinded. Thomas’s attorneys successfully argued for a delay to assess his competency for execution.
Thomas’s case is complicated by his severe mental illness and acts of self-harm. Prior to his 2005 conviction, he gouged out one of his eyes.
Later, he removed and consumed his remaining eye, rendering himself completely blind. His lawyers assert that Thomas believed these actions would prevent the government from accessing his thoughts.
He confessed to the murders, claiming God instructed him to kill his wife and her children, believing they were demons. He also removed the hearts of both children.
In March 2023, Judge Jim Fallon withdrew the execution warrant, granting Thomas’s legal team more time to evaluate his mental state. The Supreme Court has established that while the death penalty can be applied to individuals with severe mental illness, they must be deemed competent for execution.
Thomas’s attorney, Marie Levin, expressed confidence that evidence of Thomas’s incompetence will persuade the court that his execution would be unconstitutional. She described Thomas as profoundly mentally ill and lacking a rational understanding of the state’s justification for his execution. She believes executing him would be inhumane and pointless.
Following the removal of his first eye, Thomas received treatment at a medical facility before being transferred to a prison psychiatric unit. His trial attorney expressed relief that he would finally receive the mental health care he needed.
Despite calls for clemency from over 100 faith leaders and others, the Grayson County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, claims to have no current knowledge of Thomas’s condition and has not reviewed any recent reports or assessments. Thomas remains on death row pending the competency evaluation.