Hispanic man Ivan Cantu was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday after years of legal battles to prove his innocence failed.
Cantu, who maintained his innocence for over two decades, was convicted in 2001 based primarily on the testimony of two state witnesses, his girlfriend at the time and his brother. Despite efforts by his defense team to introduce new evidence that could potentially exonerate him, including witness testimony contradicting the initial version presented in court, all attempts to halt the execution were denied.
In his final moments, Cantu reiterated his innocence, proclaiming, “I want you to know that I did not kill James and Amy.”
His mother, Sylvia Cantu, who had been advocating for her son’s innocence tirelessly, expressed her anguish in an interview with Univision Noticias, where she implored the courts to allow the new evidence to be presented. Private investigator Matt Duff, who gathered compelling evidence pointing to a potential miscarriage of justice, highlighted discrepancies in the case and raised doubts about crucial evidence that could have been planted.
Several members of the jury who had originally sentenced Cantu to death came forward after learning about the new evidence, expressing regret for their decision. One juror, Jeff Calhoun, penned an opinion piece titled ‘I helped put Ivan Cantu on death row and now I feel cheated,’ stating that the new evidence would have changed their verdict.
Despite the last-minute efforts to prove his innocence, Cantu was executed, prompting renewed calls for a reexamination of the case and the justice system’s handling of capital punishment. As the controversy surrounding Cantu’s case continues to unfold, questions remain about the integrity of the criminal justice system and the need for a fair and transparent legal process.