Texas to execute Glen Garcia White amid mental health claims
At the beginning of October in the American state of Texas, Glen Garcia White is set to be executed. The former football player is accused of a triple murder, although he was involved in two others. Lawyers trying to defend the man are highlighting his mental health issues.
Glen Garcia White used to play American football. According to "USA Today," he was a poor student but an excellent football player. His career was cut short by severe knee injuries. Soon he dropped out of school and took a job because his partner was pregnant. After some time, the man fell into drug addiction.
Glen Garcia White was sentenced to death by injection for murders committed 35 years ago. The execution is set for 1 October.
On 30 November 1989, he met with 38-year-old Bonita Edwards to do drugs and have sex. When she refused, he stabbed her several times with a knife. He then did the same to her twin daughters. The bodies of Bonita, Annette, and Bernette were found several days later. Additionally, he sexually assaulted the last girl.
It is worth mentioning that he was linked to another murder he committed a month before the brutal killing of the three women. It is known that he argued with 27-year-old Greta Williams. She was later found dead.
The murderer was only apprehended after six years. Together with his partner, he robbed a grocery store, which led to the death of the clerk. Tecumseh Manuel, White's accomplice, told investigators about his friend's murders.
According to USA Today, White's defenders claim that he is mentally impaired and addicted to drugs. His close ones describe him as a "gentle giant."
"Glen was the kindest person I knew," quotes the portal of his friend Ray Manuel. "He was the biggest wimp you'd ever find," added his brother Alfred White.
White's lawyers in 2015 secured a stay of execution for him. At that time, they argued that new scientific evidence had emerged showing more clearly how cocaine use affects the brain.
According to USA Today, lawyers currently believe that the police exploited White's mental impairment to obtain a confession without a lawyer present. They also claim that the prosecution tried to eliminate black jurors to tip the scales in their favour.
White's execution will be the sixth in the US in just 10 days.
