On
this date, May 19, 2005, an Aryan Brotherhood Gangster was executed by lethal
injection in Texas. I was satisfied that he apologized and admitted to his
guilt before he died. I got the information about him from Wikipedia and
clarkprosecutor.org
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Richard Cartwright, taken on
the day of his execution.
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Richard Michael "Rich" Cartwright (February 11, 1970 – May 19, 2005)
was a Death Row inmate and activist who was executed by the state of Texas for
the stabbing and shooting of 37 year old Nick Moraida during a robbery in
Corpus Christi on August 1, 1996.
Cartwright
became well known with the Abolishment of the Death Penalty Movement after contributing
to a series of articles known as Uncensored from Texas Death Row.
After his execution, Clinton Lee Young, presently on Texas Death Row,
took over the Uncensored from Texas Death Row articles.
Cartwright
never denied being a part of the robbery which resulted in Moraida's death,
however, he claimed innocence of the shooting and stabbing of Moraida
throughout his life on Death Row. Richard Cartwright, Dennis Hagood and Kelly
Overstreet hatched a plan to rob a gay man by posing as male prostitutes. They
thought such a victim would be an easy target because he would be less apt to
report the robbery to police. They met 37 year old Nick Moraida after he pulled
up in a small black sports car. The trio invited Moraida to go drinking with
them at a remote gulfside park. When they reached the secluded area, Cartwright
pulled out a gun and said, “This is a robbery. Put your hands on the cement
[wall].” At the same time, Overstreet held a knife to Moraida’s neck. Their
plan turned deadly when Moraida refused to give up and tried to flee. One of
the men tried to stab Moraida but could not kill him. Cartwright then shot him
in the back with a .38 caliber pistol. Hagood was convicted and sentenced to 20
years imprisonment. Overstreet was convicted and sentenced to 50 years
imprisonment. Both testified against Cartwright. Death penalty proponents
frequently argue that Cartwright confessed to the murder when he apologized to
the family of the victim during his last statement. However, his supporters who
knew him on a personal level, including his mother, Irene, continue to defend
his innocence, stating that he never denied being a part of the robbery which
resulted in Moraida's death. Cartwright had also been a member of the Aryan
Brotherhood.
Several
months after Cartwright's death, his supporters still claim he had an effect on
the abolishment movement against the death penalty, including among his fellow
inmates.
For
his last meal, Cartwright requested fried chicken, a cheeseburger, onion rings,
french fries, bacon, sausage, cheesecake, and cinnamon rolls. When asked if he
had a final statement, he said:
Yes, I do. I just want to thank all my friends and family who gave
me support these past eight years. I want to apologize to the victim's family
for the pain I caused them. And to everyone at the Polunsky Unit, just keep
your heads up and stay strong.
After
his final statement, the lethal injection was started and Cartwright was
pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m.
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Richard Cartwright
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Richard
Cartwright was sentenced to death in the August, 1996 robbery and murder of
34-year-old Nick Moraida in Corpus Christi, Texas. Cartwright and two
co-defendants lured Moraida to a remote gulfside park and robbed him of his
wallet, watch and money. Co-defendant Kelly Overstreet then cut Moraida's
throat and Cartwright shot him in the back with a 38 caliber pistol. Moraida's
body washed up on the beach in Corpus Christi the following day. The robbery
netted the three accomplices between $60 and $200 - money they all use to buy
drugs. Kelly Overstreet was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Dennis Hagood
received a twenty year sentence.
UPDATE:
Convicted killer Richard Cartwright's execution is now less than a week away.
Cartwright was given the death penalty for the 1996 murder of Nick Moraida,
whose family said they're ready for Cartwight's execution. She says every time
they get a letter about another appeal or another hearing, it's like reliving
the murder all over again. The family is ready to have some closure, and they
believe next Thursday will help.
Above
all, Angela Moraida remembers her brother Nick as a good father. "He would
make all the holidays special...decorate it together," Moraida said. She
said it wasn't just the loss of Nick that hurt, but the way he was taken.
"They robbed him, and one guy slit his throat, and the other guy shot him,
and left him just to die there in the bay."
Richard
Cartwright has taken his case to the Internet, claiming police charged the
wrong man with murder. Private investigator Tina Church, who has taken up
Cartwright's case said, "Kelly Overstreet is the person who slit this
young man's throat, and he places the gun in Rich Cartwright's hands. Rich has
never...Rich has always maintained his innocence."
Cartwright's
mother in Chicago shares the same beliefs, but at the same time is preparing
for his execution. "You know, we're prepared for the worst outcome because
you just never know with the state of Texas, because there's so much that they
will not hear at this point in the case," said Irene Rekitzke. For Angela,
this is a chance to finally move on, feeling certain the right man will be
punished. On a more positive note, Angela Moraida said the loss of her brother
truly has brought the rest of the family together. They'll all watch one of
Nick's children graduate in a few weeks.
Two
other men were convicted in the robbery and murder. Dennis Haygood was
sentenced to 20 years in prison and Kelly Overstreet was sentenced to 50 years.
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Richard Cartwright
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Richard
Michael Cartwright, 31, was executed by lethal injection on 19 May 2005 in
Huntsville, Texas for the robbery and murder of a 37-year-old man.
On
1 August 1986, Cartwright, then 22, was out with two friends - Dennis Hagood,
19, and Kelly Overstreet, 18 - in Corpus Christi. When Nick Moraida pulled up
in a black sports car, the trio, posing as homosexuals, invited him to go
drinking with them at a seaside park. Moraida agreed, and the four drove off
together. They parked in a cul-de-sac and walked down a hill to the seawall.
The men then robbed Moraida of his wallet, keys, watch, and an envelope
containing cash. Moraida's body was discovered near the seawall the next day by
fishers. His neck was cut, and he had been shot in the back with a .38-caliber
pistol. At Cartwright's trial, the medical examiner testified that the knife
wounds were not fatal, and that the gunshot wound was the cause of death.
Overstreet
and Hagood testified against Cartwright and claimed he was responsible for
Moraida's death. According to their testimony, when they had Moraida by the
concrete seawall, Cartwright pulled out a pistol and told him, "This is a
robbery. Put your hands on the cement." Overstreet then held a knife to
the victim's neck. They robbed him, then Overstreet then cut Moraida's throat,
and Cartwright shot him in the back.
Cartwright
had a prior felony conviction for unlawful possession of a controlled
substance. He was sentenced to two years' probation in February 1990.
A
jury convicted Cartwright of capital murder in 1997 and sentenced him to death.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in May
1999. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.
Kelly
Overstreet and Dennis Hagood were sentenced to 50 and 20 years in prison,
respectively.
On
death row, Cartwright declined to be interview by reporters, preferring instead
to write letters to anti-death-penalty organizations, who posted his letters on
their web sites. "I did not commit the crime for which I was convicted and
sentenced to death," he stated. His claim of innocence, however, revolved
around his responsibility for the murder, not his involvement in it. Cartwright
blamed Overstreet for the murder, without elaboration.
To
support Cartwright's claim that Overstreet was responsible for the murder, the
web sites linked to a handwritten letter Overstreet wrote his girlfriend while
in jail awaiting trial. In the letter, he wrote, "I sometimes do things I
don't really mean to do, I usually do these things when I am high. I have
always hated faggots but I didn't mean to kill the little 'queen.' I was pretty
high that night, and I guess my rage overcame my ass. I guess that is what
being a skinhead is all about."
In
a recent written statement to Cartwright's lawyers, Overstreet stated, "I
intentionally made Cartwright out to be the bad guy out of spite when in fact I
am the one who was at the forefront of all events." Cartwright's lawyers
tried to have his execution stayed, claiming that he was convicted on false
testimony. Though they did not deny that Cartwright shot the victim, they
claimed that he was under duress, following Overstreet's orders because he was
afraid of him. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Cartwright's appeal late in the
afternoon of his execution.
Attorneys
for the state said that Overstreet's statements were unreliable and did
"nothing to establish actual innocence" or undermine Cartwright's
culpability.
"I
want to apologize to the victim's family for any pain and suffering I caused
them," Cartwright said in his last statement. He also encouraged his
fellow death row inmates to "just keep your heads up and stay
strong." The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at
6:16 p.m.
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Richard Cartwright
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Aug. 1, 1996 Nick Moraida killed during robbery on the bayfront.
March 1997 Richard Cartwright convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.
July 1998 Cartwright files a petition for state writ of habeas corpus. Court of Criminal Appeals denies his petition.
May 1999 Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Cartwright’s conviction and sentence.
November 1999 The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear Cartwright’s appeal.
September 2002 Cartwright files a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal district court.
July 2003 Federal district court denies Cartwright’s petition for federal habeas relief.
January 2005 U.S. Supreme Court refuses to review Cartwright’s case.
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