A Texas man convicted of stabbing his girlfriend and her eight-year-old son to death in 2013 is scheduled for execution on Wednesday. Cedric Ricks, 51, is due to receive a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville after 6pm CDT.
Ricks was sentenced to death for the murders of 30-year-old Roxann Sanchez and her son Anthony Figueroa at their apartment in Bedford. Sanchez’s other son, Marcus Figueroa, then 12, was also injured in the attack. Prosecutors said Ricks and Sanchez were arguing when the boys tried to intervene, prompting Ricks to grab a knife and stab Sanchez multiple times. Marcus survived by playing dead after Ricks stabbed him.
Ricks’ legal team has lodged an appeal with the US Supreme Court, arguing that prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by excluding potential jurors based on race. They cite notes from the jury selection process, obtained in 2021, which they claim show prosecutors singled out minority jurors. The Texas Attorney General’s Office maintains that the prosecution’s decisions were race-neutral and have been upheld by lower courts.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks’ request for a reprieve or commutation on Monday. If the execution proceeds, Ricks would be the second person put to death in Texas this year and the sixth in the United States.
