UPDATE: Henderson’s exe­cu­tion date of April 18 was stayed in order to con­sid­er new defense motions in the case. A new exe­cu­tion date of June 13 was ten­ta­tive­ly set.
Upcoming Texas Execution Raises Questions of Appropriate Sentence
Cathy Henderson (pic­tured with Sr. Helen Prejean) is sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed in Texas on April 18 for the 1994 mur­der of Brandon Baugh, an infant she was babysit­ting. Henderson would be the 12th woman put to death in the U.S. since cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment was rein­stat­ed. (See DPIC’s updat­ed page on Women and the Death Penalty). Since her arrest, Henderson has main­tained that the child’s death was acci­den­tal. Henderson said that she is sor­ry for Brandon’s death and that she feels regret every day for the pain she caused his fam­i­ly. Watch an inter­view of Henderson with the Kansas City Star (Windows Media Player).

There are cur­rent­ly 50 women on death row. If Cathy Henderson’s exe­cu­tion takes place, she will be the fourth woman exe­cut­ed in Texas since 1976.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Henderson’s recent appeal. She is seek­ing clemen­cy from Texas Governor Rick Perry. Read Henderson’s peti­tion for cer­tio­rari to the U.S. Supreme Court. See also DPIC’s item on this case.

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