Irene Cartwright’s son, Richard was executed by the State of Texas on May 19, 2005.
Until the end, he was strong in his faith and in his love for God, his friends and family, and of life.
He never quit.
When her son came into this judicial nightmare, Irene did not know how the death penalty
worked. She also strongly believed that the justice system in our country was above reproach,
that if a man or woman was convicted, there had to be a good reason because that wouldn’t happen
to an innocent person, and that everyone involved in the process always had the truth as their ultimate
goal and guiding principle, “ No one, for any reason, deserves this pain.
Everyone needs to sit up and listen. Otherwise, my story could some day be your story.
Your son or daughter could one day lie on a gurney with needles in both arms, and gasp their last
breath right before your eyes.”
Richard was beautiful in both mind and soul.
He loved his family, especially his 8 year old daughter, Ricki, and very much wanted to be here for
her as much as he possibly could. Richard was not guilty of the crime, “I believe this with my whole
heart, not because he is my son, but because of the evidence, or lack there of.”
Links to Irene’s Journey:
