The final gurney in Huntsville has claimed them all, one by one, men who walked into the death chamber with prayers, apologies, or silence, leaving behind a trail of last meals and last words that now echo across Texas death row. From the condemned who found God in his final days to the cop who ordered his wife’s murder and refused to speak at the end, the state has carried out a series of executions that reveal the raw, unvarnished truth of life and death under the needle.
Romero Gonzalez, 41, was the first to go on June 26, 2024, executed for the 2001 murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend. He had confessed years after the crime, leading officers to her shallow grave. In his final moments, strapped to the gurney, he spoke calmly.
“I want to say I’m sorry. I took someone precious from this world. Bridget, I know I can’t make this right, but I hope you found peace.
To her family, I pray you heal. I pray God gives you strength.” His last meal was chicken fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and sweet tea, the standard fare since Texas abolished special last meal requests.
At 6:50 p. m. , he was pronounced dead.
Christopher Young, 34, followed on July 17, 2018, for the 2004 murder of convenience store owner Hazmuk Patel. Young had been a gang member who transformed on death row, mentoring others and finding faith. In his final words, he said, “I’ve changed.
I’m sorry for what I did. I hope my death can serve some purpose.” He whispered, “It burns,” as the drugs took effect.
His last meal was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and a slice of bread. He was pronounced dead at 6:39 p. m.
, leaving behind three daughters.
Steven Leane Nelson, 37, was executed on February 5, 2025, for the 2011 murder of Pastor Clinton Dobson and the attempted murder of secretary Judy Elliot. Nelson never showed remorse, even laughing during his trial. In his final words, he said, “I will always love you no matter.
Our love is uncontrollable. I’m at peace. I’m ready to be at home.
Let’s ride, Warden.” He did not request a special meal. The lethal drugs began at 6:38 p.
m. , and he was pronounced dead 12 minutes later.
Michael James Perry, 28, was executed on July 1, 2010, for the 2001 triple murder of Sandra Stoler, her son Adam, and Jeremy Richardson. Perry maintained his innocence until the end. His last words were, “I want everyone to know what happened here.
This atrocity, you are forgiven by me. Mom, I love you. Dad, I’m coming home.”
His last meal was three bacon, egg and cheese omelets, three chicken cheese enchiladas, and three sodas. He was pronounced dead at 6:17 p. m.
Robert Allan Fratta, 60, was executed on January 10, 2023, for hiring a hitman to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 his wife Farah in 1994. A former police officer, he showed no remorse. When asked for final words, he said nothing.
He was pronounced dead at 7:49 p. m. after a brief pause due to legal appeals.
His last meal was the standard prison fare: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, scrambled eggs, cereal, and milk.
These five men represent the spectrum of death row in Texas. Some found redemption, others never wavered. Their last meals were ordinary, their last words haunting.
The state’s machinery of death continues, but the stories of those who lie in the cold chamber remain, a stark reminder of the final moments when the needle goes in and the world goes silent.
