DALLAS (AP) — A Texas man who fatally shot a convenience store clerk is set to die by lethal injection on Wednesday in what would be the nation's 30th execution this year.
Jamaal Howard, 46, was found guilty of capital murder in the 2000 killing of Vickie Swartout, 42, who was shot once in the chest. He is set to receive a lethal dose of pentobarbital in the first scheduled execution in the U.S. since Tennessee’s failed attempt at putting Christa Pike to death last week.
Pike's attorneys said Tuesday that she was awake and speaking as she received treatment at a hospital.
Texas has executed six people so far this year, with two more scheduled after Howard.
Swartout was fatally shot during the robbery at the store in the small, rural town of Silsbee, located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Houston. Evidence presented at the trial included the store’s surveillance video, which showed Howard shooting Swartout.
Howard, who was 20 at the time, took $114 and a carton of cigarettes from the store, according to court records.
His attorneys have argued that Howard is intellectually disabled and his execution should be halted. The state said that he has not presented evidence that would show he meets the requirements for a claim of intellectual disability.
He has an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court pending to stop the execution.
The Supreme Court in 2002 had barred the execution of intellectually disabled people. But it has given states some discretion in how they determine such disabilities.
Florida has carried out 16 executions so far this year, the most of any state. Most states that allow executions use lethal injection as their primary method.
This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Jamaal Howard on Oct. 28, 2022. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)
Skydance-owned Paramount on Tuesday closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, ushering in a new Hollywood giant.
Skydance Corp. emerges from one of the biggest mergers ever — $111 billion including debt — in the media and entertainment industry.
Here is a list of notable films, shows and franchises in the new Skydance portfolio, followed by its major studios, networks and other businesses.
Superheroes and comics: DC’s “Batman,” “Superman,” “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman”
Fantasy and science fiction: “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts”; “Star Trek”; “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon”
Action and adventure: “Mission: Impossible”; “Top Gun”; “Transformers”; the “Matrix” films
Horror: “The Conjuring” universe; “A Nightmare on Elm Street”; “Final Destination”; “Scream”
Children’s and animation: “SpongeBob SquarePants”; “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”; “Avatar: The Last Airbender”; “Looney Tunes”; “Scooby-Doo”; “Tom and Jerry”
Major television properties: “Yellowstone”; “Friends”; “The Big Bang Theory”; “The Sopranos”; “The White Lotus”
Paramount film library: Not limited to but including “The Godfather” trilogy, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Chinatown”
Warner Bros. and New Line libraries: Films including “Casablanca,” the “Dirty Harry” series and the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy
Turner’s classic film holdings: Much of MGM’s pre-May 1986 library, including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” plus substantial classic RKO holdings
Miramax library — partial ownership: Paramount’s 49% stake in Miramax, whose catalog includes “Pulp Fiction,” “Good Will Hunting” and “Chicago”
Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, DC Studios, CBS Studios, Warner Bros. Television and Skydance’s film and television operations
HBO Max, featuring HBO originals such as “The Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Wire” and “Sex and the City”; Paramount+; discovery+; and Pluto TV
CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CBS News, including “60 Minutes”
CBS and its owned local stations; HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, TNT, TBS, Turner Classic Movies, Comedy Central, MTV and BET
Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Smithsonian Channel, OWN and Magnolia Network
Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Paramount Animation and Skydance Animation
CBS Sports, TNT Sports, Eurosport, Bleacher Report and Skydance Sports
Warner Bros. Games and Skydance’s game-development businesses
DC Comics, one of the two dominant U.S. superhero-comics publishers; consumer-products licensing; studio tours; and branded attractions
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FILE - The cast of television's "Friends", from left: Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer appear during the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 22, 2002, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
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