Texas Death Row Inmate Set for First US Execution of the Year
Charles Victor Thompson, a 55-year-old Texas death row inmate, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. If carried out, this would mark the first execution in the United States this year, following a case that has spanned nearly three decades and included a dramatic escape from custody.
The 1998 Double Homicide in Tomball
Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30. The killings occurred at Hayslip's apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball. Prosecutors detailed that Thompson and Hayslip had been romantically involved for about a year before their relationship ended due to Thompson becoming "increasingly possessive, jealous and abusive".
According to court records, on the night of the murders, Thompson arrived at Hayslip's apartment around 3am and began arguing with Cain. Police were called and instructed Thompson to leave the apartment complex. He returned three hours later and shot both victims. Cain died at the scene, while Hayslip succumbed to her injuries in hospital a week later.
Legal Battles and Medical Controversy
Thompson's attorneys have filed a last-minute appeal with the US Supreme Court, seeking a stay of execution. They argue that Thompson was not permitted to refute prosecution evidence which concluded Hayslip died from a gunshot wound to the face. The defence contends that Hayslip actually died from flawed medical care following the shooting, which resulted in severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation after a failed intubation.
"If he had been able to raise a reasonable doubt as to the cause of Ms. Hayslip's death, he would not be guilty of capital murder," Thompson's lawyers stated in court filings.
Prosecutors have countered this argument, noting that a jury already rejected the claim. Under Texas state law, they maintain Thompson is responsible for Hayslip's death because it "would not have occurred but for his conduct". The Hayslip family had previously filed a medical negligence lawsuit against one of her doctors, but a jury ruled in favour of the physician in 2002.
A Notorious Escape and Recapture
Thompson's case has been marked by extraordinary twists. After having his original death sentence overturned, he was resentenced in November 2005 following a new punishment trial. Shortly thereafter, he executed a brazen escape from the Harris County jail in Houston.
Thompson managed to slip out of his handcuffs and orange jail jumpsuit after meeting with his attorney in an unlocked interview cell. He then used a makeshift ID badge fashioned from his prison ID card to walk past several deputies and out the front door virtually unchallenged.
During his three days of freedom, Thompson later told the Associated Press, "I got to smell the trees, feel the wind in my hair, grass under my feet, see the stars at night. It took me straight back to childhood being outside on a summer night." He was eventually arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, while attempting to arrange wire transfers of money from overseas with plans to reach Canada.
The Path to Execution
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Thompson's request on Monday to commute his death sentence to a lesser penalty. This decision paves the way for what would be the first execution in the United States this year.
Texas has historically carried out more executions than any other state, though Florida recorded the highest number in 2025 with 19 executions. The Harris County District Attorney's office emphasised that "The Hayslip and Cain families have waited over twenty-five years for justice to occur" in their court filings.
As Wednesday evening approaches, legal observers await the Supreme Court's decision on the final appeal, while the state prepares to carry out what would be a significant moment in America's ongoing capital punishment landscape.
