On Wednesday, Texas executed Ramiro Gonzales, 41, for the brutal rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, a crime that occurred over two decades ago. The execution, carried out by lethal injection at 6:50 p.m. CT, coincided with what would have been Bridget’s 41st birthday. Gonzales used his final moments to express remorse and apologize to the Townsend family.
“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 in his last statement, 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’s mother, Patricia Townsend, was among the witnesses to the execution. She described the event as a “joyful occasion” for her family, stating, “He doesn’t deserve mercy.”
Gonzales was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and fatally shooting Bridget Townsend in January 2001. Bridget, who was working full-time at a resort and awaiting a response to her nursing school application, was spending the night at her boyfriend Joe Leal’s house when Gonzales arrived to steal drugs. Finding Bridget alone, Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up, and drove her to his grandfather’s ranch. There, he raped and shot her before abandoning her body in a field.
For nearly two years, Bridget’s fate remained unknown until Gonzales, already serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, confessed to her murder and led authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, Texas.
In his final words, Gonzales also thanked his family and friends for their support over the years. He concluded with, “God bless you all. Warden, I’m ready.”
Gonzales’ attorneys argued that the man executed was vastly different from the troubled 18-year-old who committed the crime. They described him as having endured a childhood filled with abuse and neglect, which led him to make poor choices and seek escape through drugs. They emphasized that Gonzales had spent his time on death row working on self-improvement, becoming deeply spiritual, and expressing profound remorse for his actions.
“The man put to death for those acts was a different person,” Gonzales’ lawyers said. “Ramiro knew he took something from this world he could never give back. He lived with that shame every day, and it shaped the person he worked so hard to become.”
Despite Gonzales’ expressions of remorse, Patricia Townsend rejected his apologies and the notion that his difficult childhood should mitigate his actions. “I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood,” she said. “He made his choice.”
Bridget’s brother, David Townsend, also remained unconvinced by Gonzales’ transformation. In various petitions and posts, he criticized efforts to portray Gonzales as anything other than a convicted murderer who committed “unforgivable acts.” He stated that the death sentence should be carried out to provide the family with closure and a measure of peace.
Gonzales’ execution was the second in Texas this year and the eighth in the nation. His attorneys had filed numerous appeals, including a petition for clemency, arguing that Gonzales had taken responsibility for his actions and no longer posed a threat to society. They also contended that a prosecution expert witness had been wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger, a necessary finding for imposing a death sentence.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzales’ death sentence to a lesser penalty. A group of faith leaders had also asked authorities to halt the execution, citing Gonzales’ transformation and his role in helping other death row inmates through a faith-based program.
In a video submitted as part of his clemency request, Gonzales expressed his sorrow to Patricia Townsend, saying, “I just want [her] to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother. So, every day it’s a continual task to do everything that I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took.”
Despite these appeals, Patricia Townsend remained resolute in her belief that Gonzales deserved his fate. She found some comfort in the fact that his execution took place on Bridget’s birthday, a day that had always been significant to her family.
As the lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered, Gonzales took seven breaths and then began to make sounds resembling snores. Within less than a minute, all movement had ceased. Bridget Townsend’s family, who had endured over two decades of pain and heartache, finally witnessed the execution of the man responsible for their loss.
David Townsend, reflecting on the execution, said, “We have finally witnessed justice being served. This day marks the end of a long and painful journey for our family. For over two decades, we have endured unimaginable pain and heartache. Gonzales’ death provides us a little bit of peace. I do want to say we are not joyous, we are not happy. This is a very, very sad day for everyone all the way around.”
Source: USA Today, CBS/AP, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
