Texas Executes Moises Mendoza for 2004 Murder

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Moises Mendoza, a Texas man convicted of the murder of Rachelle Tolleson in 2004, was executed on Wednesday night following the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to review his case.

Details of the Execution

The execution took place at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in Huntsville. Mendoza was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m., announced the office of the Texas Attorney General.

Reactions to the Execution

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton commented on the execution, stating, “Tonight, the State of Texas upheld its duty and obligation to enforce justice and ensure that criminals receive the appropriate punishment.” He emphasized the lasting impact of Mendoza’s crime on Tolleson’s family, noting that justice has been served two decades after the tragic event.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis also issued a statement confirming Mendoza’s execution and reflecting on the severity of the crime. He described the abduction and murder of Rachelle Tolleson as a “brutal, unforgivable crime” that devastated her family and shocked the local community.

“From the very beginning, there was no real doubt about his guilt. He confessed and led investigators to where he dumped Rachelle’s body,” said Willis. “The evidence was overwhelming, and the sentence was just. Tonight, justice was finally carried out.”

The Case Against Moises Mendoza

Mendoza was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury in 2005 for kidnapping and murdering 20-year-old Rachelle Tolleson. According to court documents, he abducted Tolleson from her home in Farmersville, Texas, where she left her young daughter unattended. Mendoza then took Tolleson to a field behind his residence, where he strangled, stabbed, and subsequently burned her body. Her remains were discovered six days later, while her infant daughter was found unharmed.

Supreme Court Denies Appeal

On the day of his execution, Mendoza’s attorneys submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court, asking for a stay of his execution and a review of a lower court’s decision which denied claims of ineffective counsel. The Supreme Court rejected these requests just hours before the scheduled execution.

Legal representatives argued that Mendoza’s previous attorney failed to adequately investigate critical testimony during sentencing, particularly a claim from a jailer that Mendoza had been aggressive in prison. However, this assertion has been contested by an inmate who stated in affidavits that he was the aggressor during the altercation.

Mendoza’s Criminal History

Back on March 17, 2004, Rachelle Tolleson and her five-month-old daughter returned from a visit to Tolleson’s mother. The following morning, her mother discovered the house in disarray, with the back door wide open and the infant alone in the bedroom. After being identified and arrested, Mendoza confessed to the crime, claiming that Tolleson accompanied him willingly before he fatally attacked her.

Conclusion

The execution of Moises Mendoza marks a significant moment in the pursuit of justice for Rachelle Tolleson’s family, who have faced years of grief since her violent death. Mendoza became the third individual executed in Texas in 2023, reflecting the ongoing legal proceedings that have surrounded his case for nearly two decades.