On June 26, 2024, Texas executed Ramiro Gonzales, 41, for the 2001 rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend. The execution, carried out by lethal injection, took place on what would have been Townsend’s 41st birthday. Gonzales used his final moments to apologize to Townsend’s family, expressing deep remorse for his actions.
“I can’t put into words the pain I have caused y’all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back,” Gonzales said, according to a transcript provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. “I never stopped praying for all of you. I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me.”
Bridget Townsend was just beginning her adult life, working full-time at a resort and eagerly awaiting news about her nursing school application. Her life was tragically cut short when Gonzales, then 18, kidnapped, raped, and murdered her. He later confessed to the crime while serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, Texas.
Patricia Townsend, Bridget’s mother, witnessed the execution and expressed that it was a “joyful occasion” for her family. “He doesn’t deserve mercy,” she told USA TODAY. She rejected Gonzales’ apologies and the arguments about his troubled childhood, stating, “I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood. He made his choice.”
Gonzales’ attorneys argued that he had changed significantly since the crime, describing him as a “deeply spiritual, generous, patient, and intentional person, full of remorse.” They highlighted his efforts to take responsibility for his actions and his attempts to make amends, including his desire to donate a kidney to a stranger. Despite these arguments, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeals, and the Texas Board of Parole and Pardons unanimously rejected his clemency petition.
The case also brought attention to the controversial practice in Texas of predicting a defendant’s future dangerousness as a criterion for the death penalty. During Gonzales’ trial, psychiatrist Edward Gripon testified that Gonzales would likely pose a future threat, a prediction he later recanted. Gripon admitted that his initial assessment was flawed and that Gonzales had shown significant remorse and personal growth.
Gonzales’ troubled past included being abandoned by his mother, sexually abused as a child, and turning to drugs after the death of a beloved aunt. His life spiraled out of control, leading to the violent crimes that ultimately resulted in his death sentence. Despite his efforts to change and his expressions of remorse, the legal system held him accountable for the irreversible harm he caused.
In his final statement, Gonzales thanked his family and friends for their support and ended with, “God bless you all. Warden, I’m ready.”
The execution of Ramiro Gonzales on the birthday of his victim, Bridget Townsend, serves as a stark reminder of the lasting impact of violent crimes and the complexities of the justice system. While Gonzales’ life ended with an apology, the pain and loss experienced by Townsend’s family remain.
Source: USA TODAY, UPI, The Marshall Project
