Murderer Executed After Apologizing to Victim's Family in Texas

Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed in Huntsville, Texas, for the 2004 murder of Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, whom he strangled, stabbed, and attempted to burn to conceal evidence. Before receiving the lethal injection, Mendoza delivered an emotional apology to Tolleson's family, acknowledging the irreparable harm he had caused and addressing each family member by name. He also expressed sorrow to Tolleson's daughter, who was six months old at the time of the murder and not present at the execution. Despite his apology, Tolleson's mother and father stated that no statement or act could undo the loss of their daughter, with her father expressing that he could not forgive Mendoza. The execution was witnessed by both the victim's and Mendoza's families, with Mendoza's final words to his own relatives expressing love and peace. Mendoza's appeals to stay the execution were unsuccessful, and his death marks the third execution in Texas this year.