Did Texas execute an innocent man?

On October 31, 1981, children dressed as goblins, ghouls and monsters were out in force looking for candy. But in Amarillo, Texas, there wouldn’t be any treats for Sister Tadea Benz, a 76-year-old Catholic nun. Someone had brutally murdered and raped the elderly woman at the St. Francis Convent in Amarillo, Texas.

On November 9, 1981, authorities arrested and charged a 17-year-old teenager named Johnny Frank Garrett with killing and raping Sister Benz. A witness claimed to have seen Garrett leaving the convent. The time was questionable because Garrett admitted to being at the convent earlier seeking items to steal.

Police found the knife used by the killer outside the convent. When police searched Garrett’s home, they found a knife that appeared similar. Authorities felt this was enough to send Garrett to death row. Forget that Garrett’s fingerprints weren’t on the actual murder weapon.

Law enforcement already knew Garrett since he had committed petty crimes in the past. He seemed like the perfect suspect, but the public would later question Garrett’s guilt. He was executed before anyone knew who had raped and killed Sister Benz.

Was Johnny Frank Garrett innocent?

Garrett’s execution was set for January 6, 1992, but he received a temporary reprieve from Governor Ann Richards. After a short reprieve, Texas executed Garrett on February 11, 1992. For his last meal, he ate ice cream. This appeared to be the end of the story. A killer died and a family received justice in a bowl of ice cream. But did a Texas courtroom pass out justice or execute an innocent man?

The prosecutor didn’t have a difficult time convincing a jury of Garrett’s guilt. He had a low IQ and a criminal past. As a child, Garrett was sexually abused. This led to issues with drugs and crime. Additionally, he didn’t have a skilled defense attorney who told the family he didn’t have much of a chance at winning the case.

Twelve years later, authorities tested DNA recovered from Sister Benz. It matched a career criminal named Leoncio Perez Rueda, who was already in prison for killing and raping a woman named Narne Box Bryson. Rueda admitted to raping and murdering a nun in his past. Additional evidence at the scene also linked Rueda to Sister Benz’s homicide.

Disturbed by Garrett’s conviction and execution, an attorney named Jesse Quackenbush made a documentary about Garrett and called it “The Last Word.” This should not be confused with a horror movie titled “Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word.”

If this murder had occurred today instead of 1981, Garrett might still be alive. A DNA test would have likely cleared him. Although most of us find it difficult to acknowledge the law doesn’t execute innocent people, it has happened. Consider the exonerated men who once sat on death row waiting for execution.

DNA identifies the real rapist

Recently, Netflix released a documentary about five innocent men who were arrested, charged and convicted of brutally assaulting and raping a young woman jogging through Central Park in the 80s. And like the Central Park five, it's also likely Garrett was coerced into signing a confession. So what about Garrett's fingerprints? How were they in the convent? Garrett had admitted to stealing items from the convent. He also had recently helped

Years later, DNA identified Matias Reyes as the real rapist. What would have happened if the jogger had died? Most likely, all five innocent men would have been sent to death row. In some cases, overzealous police officers and prosecutors pursued people who seemed easy to convict. Regarding Johnny Garrett, he was poor, had mental issues and lived across the street from the convent.

Today, Rueda hasn’t been charged with killing Sister Benz and it doesn’t appear Garrett will be exonerated anytime soon. People still have mixed feelings about this crime. Some people still believe Garrett killed Sister Benz. They just don’t think he raped her. If you agree, then you must think Rueda and Garrett were both involved. But there is no evidence to support this. It’s highly likely that Texas executed an innocent man.

The death penalty has just as many supporters as detractors. I once heard a podcast host ask an interesting question. He wondered if people would set 1,000 guilty men free if it would save one innocent man from death row. He thought most people would say no. However, if you are the innocent man on death row, you will have a different answer.