'I turned into the devil': Texas death row inmate Moises Mendoza to be executed Wednesday
After five years on Texas' death row, convicted rapist and killer Moises Sandoval Mendoza, 40, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Wednesday. If the execution moves forward, Mendoza will be the third inmate executed in Texas this year, following Richard Tabler and Steven Nelson. It will be the 13th execution in the nation.
Mendoza was sentenced to death row for the murder of 20-year-old Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson on March 18, 2004, in Farmersville, Texas. Tolleson lived in the small town, about 40 miles northeast of Dallas, with her 6-month-old daughter Avery.
Here's what we know about the case.
More from death row: Austin man remains on death row after U.S. Supreme Court denies second petition
In the early hours of March 18, 2004, Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson was at home with her infant daughter Avery. Tolleson and Avery lived alone, as Tolleson was in the middle of a divorce.
Mendoza told police he let himself inside Tolleson's house through a back door that night, per court documents. The two left to get a pack of cigarettes, leaving baby Avery at home.
Mendoza drove a little while before he began to choke Tolleson in his vehicle "for no reason," he said, according to court documents. He then drove the two to a field near his house, where he raped her before choking her again, court documents say.
Mendoza then dragged Tolleson out of his truck and choked her again until he thought she was dead, Mendoza told police. To make sure, he "poked her throat" with a knife. Mendoza left her body in the field, where it remained for a few days before he was interviewed by police about Tolleson's disappearance, court records say.
Paranoid, Mendoza wrapped Tolleson's body in a tarp and moved it to his cousin's land in a more remote area, just a few miles east of Farmersville. He then dumped the body in a "dug-out pit" and set it on fire to "destroy the fingerprints," he told police, The Courier Gazette reports.
A few days later, a man searching for arrowheads found Tolleson's charred body, according to The Courier-Gazette.
Mendoza was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
Before his conviction and sentencing, Mendoza wrote to his parents, telling them he didn't have a reason for what he did. "I don't know what happened to me at that moment. I turned into the devil and after I did something that I thought was in a dream," Mendoza wrote, The Courier-Gazette reports.
At the time of her death, Tolleson was a new mother to her 6-month-old daughter Avery. Tolleson enjoyed activities like scrapbooking and shopping, but her mother Pam O'Neil said it was Avery who was "her oxygen."
"Avery was her life and I was so proud of her when she became a mommy. Everything just came so naturally to her,' O'Neil told The Courier-Gazette about a year after Tolleson's death. "I hate that Avery won't have memories of her."
Over the years, Mendoza's case has gained a sort of notoriety. In 2006, his case was featured in the 10th season of "Forensic Files," and in 2008, the Investigation Discovery series "Solved" highlighted Tolleson's murder.
On April 2, Mendoza's lawyers asked for the opportunity to challenge Mendoza's conviction in federal court.
Neighbors described Mendoza as "hard-working" but said he changed as he got older, recounting a "violent argument" when he pinned down his mother and sister in their front yard once, as previously reported by The Courier-Gazette.
Mendoza graduated from high school, where he did "fairly well," court documents state. He received a few high school scholarships and completed about nine months of heating and air-conditioning training upon graduating.
In 2003, Mendoza was arrested for his involvement in two aggravated robberies on the Dallas College Richland Campus, according to The Courier-Gazette. It was while he was out on bail for one of these robberies that Tolleson went missing, the 2006 "Forensic Files" episode explains.
For much of their upbringing in northern Texas, Mendoza and Tolleson were actually in the same grade school classes, Tolleson's mother, Pam O'Neil, explained in a 2006 "Forensic Files" episode that outlines Mendoza's case. And the Friday before Tolleson's murder, Mendoza had been at Tolleson's house for a party of about 15 people, court documents say.
Clinical psychologist Mark Vigen described Mendoza during his trial as "immature" and "psychologically under-developed," claiming that Mendoza enjoyed getting away with "being sneaky" and got angry when others criticized him, as stated in court documents.
During Mendoza's sentencing, former Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Greg Davis described Mendoza as "one of the most violent, sadistic men" he'd ever prosecuted.
— USA TODAY reporter Greta Cross contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 'Sadistic' killer Moises Mendoza to be executed in Texas Wednesday
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
14 hours ago
Utah judge rules a convicted killer with dementia is competent to be executed
SALT LAKE CITY -- A convicted killer in Utah who developed dementia while on death row for 37 years is competent enough to be executed, a state judge ruled late Friday. Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, was sentenced to die in 1988 for killing Utah mother of three Maurine Hunsaker. Despite his recent cognitive decline, Menzies 'consistently and rationally understands" what is happening and why he is facing execution, Judge Matthew Bates wrote in a court order. 'Menzies has not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that his understanding of his specific crime and punishment has fluctuated or declined in a way that offends the Eighth Amendment,' which prohibits cruel and unusual punishments, Bates said. Menzies had previously selected a firing squad as his method of execution. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977. The Utah Attorney General's Office is expected to file a death warrant soon. Menzies' lawyers, who had argued his dementia was so severe that he could not understand why he was being put to death, said they plan to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. 'Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,' his attorney, Lindsey Layer, said in a statement. 'It is deeply troubling that Utah plans to remove Mr. Menzies from his wheelchair and oxygen tank to strap him into an execution chair and shoot him to death.' The U.S. Supreme Court has spared others prisoners with dementia from execution, including an Alabama man in 2019 who had killed a police officer. Over nearly four decades, attorneys for Menzies filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was pushed back. Hunsaker, a 26-year-old married mother of three, was abducted by Menzies from the convenience store where she worked. She was later found strangled and her throat cut at a picnic area in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Menzies had Hunsaker's wallet and several other belongings when he was jailed on unrelated matters. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes. Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, said Friday that the family was overwhelmed with emotion to know that justice would finally be served.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Michigan Senate Democrats advance bump stock ban, ghost gun serialization bills from committee
Attendees cheer at a gun safety rally at the state Capitol Building on April 22, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols Several firearm safety and control bills addressing a ban on bump stocks, serializing ghost guns and codifying the Michigan Capitol's concealed and open carry ban into law were advanced to the Michigan Senate on Thursday. The bills were moved forward by the Senate Judiciary Committee following additional testimony on the reintroduced package – but not before the panel heard emotional testimony from gun violence prevention and safety advocates and gun rights groups, the latter of whom opposed the bills. Senate Bill 224 would ban bump stocks, devices that let users essentially convert their semi-automatic weapons into rapid firing weapons. A bump stock was one of the primary tools used in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the deadliest in American history. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 struck down federal rules created after the shooting that defined a semi-automatic weapon equipped with a bump stock as an automatic weapon, which was already banned under law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The federal high court's decision, however, has not deterred Michigan Democrats from seeking ways to ban them at the state level. Michigan would join 17 others in adopting a similar policy. Sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), Senate Bill 224 would add bump stocks to a list of disallowed firearms equipment in Michigan. 'Destructive weapons of war should never have a place in our communities, yet devices that allow individuals to convert a rifle into a functioning machine gun remain legal in our state,' Polehanki said. 'And let me be clear: these are not tools for sport or self-defense. Bump stocks are used to inflict maximum harm in seconds, and their continued availability puts every one of our communities at risk. That's unacceptable, and it's time for a change.' Senate Bills 331 and 332, both sponsored by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), would prohibit the purchase, possession and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers, which are commonly referred as ghost guns because they are untraceable in federal and state firearms registries. McMorrow's bill would make a first offense a misdemeanor with a penalty up to a $5,000 fine and one year in prison. Successive offenses would be considered felonies with up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A member of McMorrow's staff delivered testimony on Thursday, but in a statement issued following the committee hearing, the senator said ghost guns were designed to deliberately evade accountability, requiring no background checks, no serial numbers and no way to trace them if used to commit a crime. 'As we see law enforcement officers recovering these untraceable firearms at an alarming rate, Michigan can't afford to wait,' McMorrow said. 'Just as rapidly as new weapon production methods emerge and evolve, so too must our laws and public safety efforts. Our communities deserve nothing less.' Polenaki also sponsored Senate Bills 225 and 226 along with Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield). The bills would make the Michigan Capitol Commission's open and concealed carry bans law, and would also apply to the Anderson House Office Building and the Binsfeld Senate Office Building. At least 26 other states have a similar ban in place to maintain the safety of their Capitol grounds. Bayer during testimony on Thursday recounted the fear she felt when armed protesters stormed Michigan's Capitol and remained in the Senate chamber's gallery, which several senators said made them feel intimidated as they voted on important legislation. 'Those types of threats and intimidation have no place in any work environment, especially not one where the work of the people is being done,' Bayer said. 'Every day, we have students and teachers, parents and public servants walk the halls of our Capitol. It's our responsibility to make sure they feel safe doing so, and this legislation will help ensure all people feel safe freely participating in our state's democracy.' Members of Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action and various other gun safety groups, like Brady and Giffords, testified Thursday in support of the measures, hoping they would keep firearms out of the Capitol and keep ghost guns and bump stocks out of the hands of future mass shooters. Linda Danders with Moms Demand Action said from the very first time armed extremists showed up at the Capitol to intimidate lawmakers, her group knew there was a real and imminent threat to the safety of Michiganders and the state's democracy. 'That's why we've been urging Michigan lawmakers to prohibit guns in the Capitol,' Danders said. 'Thanks to the efforts of many in this room, open carry of firearms in the Capitol Building is now prohibited, but there is still a dangerous loophole left for individuals to carry concealed, loaded handguns into and on Capitol grounds, including in this building.' Tom Lambert, legislative director for Michigan Open Carry, said he was opposed to the package, calling it another episode in the continuing series of 'people who hate guns, don't know what they're talking about and they don't care,' referring to Senate Democrats' push for greater gun control. 'You have serious Second Amendment issues, you also have serious Fifth Amendment issues. Not only are you taking lawfully possessed property that people acquire lawfully and possess lawfully today and you're prohibiting it, you're in the alternative requiring them to deface these items that, again, lawfully, do not have a serial number on them,' Lambert said of the ghost guns bill. 'If you put one of these federally regulated serial numbers on them, you will decrease the value of those items, some of which are worth a significant amount, which constitutes a Fifth Amendment taking.' Lambert insinuated that could lead to legal consequences for the state that could cost a lot. 'I hope we put [that] in the budget to pay for all that stuff,' he said. In response to emotional testimony from a student, Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northland Township) said no young person should have to worry about the threat of gun violence. 'Quite frankly, at my age, it's not something I should have to worry about either,' Shink said. 'And I'll just tell you, and also so that the people who are from those gun organizations know that, yeah, it's scary to know that they're out there pushing violence and pushing fear on people who just want to live in peace, who just want to be left alone to pursue their life, liberty and happiness. It's bullshit. You shouldn't have to put up with it.'
Newsweek
21 hours ago
- Newsweek
Kilmar Abrego Garcia Charged With Human Trafficking: Read the Indictment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States fetched Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador on Friday, nearly three months after his mistaken deportation, charging the Maryland-based migrant who became a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration policies with federal human trafficking crimes. The 29-year-old Salvadoran national is accused of taking part in a human smuggling ring for around nine years, according to a Tennessee grand jury indictment filed on May 21. The indictment was made public on Friday, as Abrego Garcia was en route to the U.S. to be arraigned. Friday afternoon, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia had landed back in the U.S. "to face justice", after the Trump administration previously avoided facilitating his return from his home country despite an order by the U.S. Supreme Court. His attorneys said at a media briefing Friday evening that the government was playing "dirty tricks". Why It Matters After it emerged Abrego Garcia was deported following an "administrative error" under the Alien Enemies Act, the Trump administration insisted that he was a known MS-13 gang member and criminal, despite not presenting evidence. The indictment finally lays out the allegations against him. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference about Kilmar Abrego Garcia at the Justice Department, Friday June 6, 2025, in Washington. Right: Protestors call for the release of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia,... Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference about Kilmar Abrego Garcia at the Justice Department, Friday June 6, 2025, in Washington. Right: Protestors call for the release of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to CECOT prison in El Salvador before the administration of US President Donald Trump admitted he was sent there due to an "administrative error," outside the Metropolitan Detention Center of the Federal Bureau of Prisons during a May Day Workers Unite! march in Los Angeles, California, on May 1, 2025. More AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson/PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images What To Know The ten-page indictment filed in Tennessee charges Abrego Garcia with: Conspiracy to transport aliens Unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens Bondi said Abrego Garcia would be tried on these charges and, if found guilty, serve a sentence in the U.S. before being returned to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia's legal team told reporters Friday evening that he would be rigorously defending the allegations against him. What Did Abrego Garcia Allegedly Do? The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2025, Abrego Garcia and a group of others "conspired to bring undocumented aliens to the United States from countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and elsewhere." These migrants passed through Mexico before reached the U.S. The Salvadoran allegedly used cell phones and social media to coordinate the operation, taking payments from the individuals they were smuggling. The indictment repeats the claim that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, linked to the aforementioned countries and originating out of Los Angeles, and that he used his status within the gang to "further his criminal activity". Abrego Garcia allegedly worked with other individuals to collect the migrants who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas and transport them elsewhere within the U.S. Some of the women Abrego Garcia transported allegedly told other members of the group that he had abused them. What People Are Saying Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in a statement sent to Newsweek: "For the last 2 months, the media and Democrats have burnt to the ground any last shred of credibility they had left as they glorified Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a known MS13 gang member, human trafficker, and serial domestic abuser. "Today, the United States of America confronts Kilmar Abrego Garcia with overwhelming evidence— he is being indicted by a grand jury for human smuggling, including children, and conspiracy. "Justice awaits this Salvadoran man." Abrego Garcia's attorney Ama Frimpong told a briefing about his wife: "Jennifer learned about this information from the press." Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn posted on X Friday afternoon: "It's finally time for Abrego Garcia to face justice." What's Next Noem confirmed Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. in a court filing Friday afternoon. A court hearing has not yet been announced.
