El Paso District Attorney Vows to Seek Death Penalty for Walmart Shooter
El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks has reaffirmed his commitment to seeking the death penalty for Patrick Crusius, the perpetrator of the 2019 shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. Despite the controversial federal sentencing phase that resulted in Crusius not being sentenced to death for the 90 federal charges of domestic terrorism, Hicks assured reporters that the state case for murder would proceed with capital punishment in mind.
During a news conference held in County Court, Hicks emphasized that the federal ruling would have no bearing on the state case and expressed his determination to prosecute Crusius to the fullest extent of the law. “We will continue to prosecute the Walmart shooter, and we will continue to seek the death penalty,” said Hicks.
However, the final decision on whether Crusius will receive the death penalty lies with an El Paso jury. Hicks stated that he expects Crusius to be back in custody around October or November and that the trial will commence once he returns. The exact trial date will be set by Judge Medrano, but Hicks estimates it will likely be in 2024 or 2025.
Hicks assured the public that considerable thought and discussion went into the decision to allow an El Paso jury to determine Crusius’s fate. He consulted with city leaders, civic leaders, and religious leaders while carefully reviewing the evidence. “I think it’s appropriate for a jury to make that decision,” Hicks said. “We are seeking the death penalty, and it will be an El Paso jury that makes the decision, whether he receives the death penalty or life in prison.”
The quest for justice and appropriate punishment resonates strongly with the victims’ families. Albert Hernández, who lost his sister and brother-in-law in the shooting, expressed his willingness to speak out after Crusius faces a state trial that could result in the death penalty. “This is just a springboard for him to be brought to justice,” Hernández told the Associated Press. He refrained from testifying in the federal court, preferring to wait until after the state trial concluded.
Hernández’s sentiments echo the broader concerns surrounding mass shootings in Texas, such as the tragic incident at an elementary school in Uvalde last year. The pursuit of justice in Crusius’s case, according to Hernández, is not driven by revenge but by the necessity for appropriate punishment.
As El Paso prepares for the upcoming trial, the community remains hopeful that justice will prevail. The trial’s outcome will have significant implications for both the victims’ families and the broader debate surrounding capital punishment.