Texas death row inmate mouths final 2-word message to victims' families before execution
A remorseful death row inmate pleaded for forgiveness and mouthed one final message before being put to death in Texas Thursday, 20 years after he killed his strip club manager and another man.
Richard Lee Tabler, 46, also admitted to killing two teenage dancers at the club and said he had found God during his two decades in prison.
"I had no right to take your loved ones from you, and I ask and pray, hope and pray, that one day you find it in your hearts to forgive me for those actions," Tabler said strapped to the death chamber gurney, looking at relatives of his victims who watched through a window a few feet away. "No amount of my apologies will ever return them to you."
He told the victims' family members that there wasn't a day that went by in which he didn't regret his actions and thanked prison officials for their compassion and show that he could "change and become a better man and rehabilitate."
After apologizing several more times, Tabler said that it was the beginning of a new life for him in heaven.
He told the warden at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, "I am finished," and as the drugs began pouring into his body he mouthed once again, "I'm sorry."
Tabler then began breathing quickly. After about a dozen breaths, all movement stopped.
Tabler shot and killed Mohammed-Amine Rahmouni, 28, and Haitham Zayed, 25, in a remote area near Killeen in Central Texas on Thanksgiving 2004 after luring them there on the false pretense of buying stolen stereo equipment.
Rahmouni was the co-owner of a club called TeaZers and the two had fallen out.
Investigators said Rahmouni allegedly said he could have Tabler's family "wiped out" for $10.
Two days later, Tabler shot and killed an 18-year-old dancer at the club, Tiffany Loraine Dotson, who he said he had been seeing, along with another dancer, 16-year-old Amanda Benefield.
Tabler was convicted of killing the two men and sentenced to death, so prosecutors didn't need to pursue the conviction for the young women's murders, Paul McWilliams, who prosecuted Tabler nearly two decades ago, told USA Today.
"The murder of the men was as cold-blooded as it could be," McWilliams said. "The killing of the girls was just senseless. There was absolutely no reason for that."
Dotson's father, George, was among the witnesses. He declined to comment on Tabler's apologies, saying he needed time to process what he had just seen but was glad to have seen it.
"I couldn't wait," he said. "It took me 20 years to get here."
"Today is for Tiffany," said her godfather, Tom Newton. "And this is justice."
During the sentencing phase of his trial, prosecutors introduced Tabler's written and videotaped statements saying he killed Dotson and Benefield because he was worried they would tell people he had killed the men.
Tabler had asked several times for courts to stop his appeals and let him be executed. His lawyers questioned whether he was mentally competent.
In 2008, he prompted a massive lockdown at the 150,000-inmate prison when he smuggled a cell phone into the facility and began making death-threat phone calls to then-state Sen. John Whitmire, who is now the mayor of Houston.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
President Trump is on a pardon spree
President Trump is on a pardon spree | The Excerpt On a special episode (first released on June 12, 2025) of The Excerpt podcast: Trump's spate of controversial pardons hint at a two-tiered system of justice where only allies get clemency. Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer shares her insights on her former role and why recent clemency grants are so unprecedented. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Dana Taylor: Hello, I'm Dana Taylor, and this is a special episode of The Excerpt. It's been a busy few months in the world of federal pardons. It started on day one of the Trump administration with more than 1,500 people pardoned for their role in the January 6th Capitol Riot, and the pardons just keep coming. The past few weeks, we've seen a spate of controversial clemency grants, including a couple of reality TV stars who were found guilty of defrauding community banks out of tens of millions of dollars, a gang leader serving multiple life sentences, and a Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery in what prosecutors called a cash for badges scheme. The pardons are legal, but what are the ethical concerns here as President Donald Trump's list of pardons continues to grow? Here to dig into some of the details of the president's current pardon spree is former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer. Thanks for joining me, Liz. Liz Oyer: Thanks for having me. Dana Taylor: Let's start off with full transparency here. You're suing the DOJ for your dismissal earlier this year. What's the background here, and can you please explain what the job of a U.S. pardon attorney is? Liz Oyer: I was fired in March from my position as pardon attorney, which is non-political position within the Department of Justice that is entrusted with reviewing applications for clemency from individuals around the country who are seeking that relief from the president and making recommendations to the President about who presents a worthy case for clemency. The position of pardon attorney is one that historically has been filled by a career employee of the Department of Justice, not a political appointee, to ensure that that position is one that is neutral and objective and that the clemency process is not fully politicized. Nevertheless, I was fired very abruptly in March, and my firing violated a whole host of civil service protections that apply to career employees. So I am appealing my termination to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which is the agency that's entrusted with adjudicating those types of issues. President Trump is on a pardon spree Trump's spate of controversial pardons hint at a two-tiered system of justice where only allies get clemency. Dana Taylor: There were some surprising pardons recently. We can't address them all, but I do want to discuss a handful. Let's start with Larry Hoover, a Chicago gang leader serving multiple life sentences for charges including murder, extortion, and money laundering. Trump can pardon whoever he wants. Do you worry he's not getting the best research for each case to determine if clemency is warranted? Liz Oyer: Well, the case of Larry Hoover is actually a very complex one. He has state convictions for an offense involving murder, and then he went on while in state prison to run a continuing criminal enterprise from the state prison, and he incurred additional federal convictions. So the federal convictions are the ones that were pardoned, not the state convictions. His sentence was commuted, and now he still has to deal with those state charges. But it is extremely unusual to grant a commutation of sentence to someone who goes on to commit a massive criminal offense while they're in prison. One of the things that's especially notable about Hoover's case is that he was serving his sentence at the federal super max prison. It's called ADX, it's a notorious prison where people who present challenging conduct in prison and need ultra restrictive conditions of confinement are housed. So the fact that he was granted a commutation by President Trump is very unusual and suggests that not a lot of weight is being placed on conduct in prison in considering who is worthy of a commutation of sentence. Dana Taylor: Many of these pardons are for people who owed significant sums of money and restitution for their crimes, Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality TV stars, for example. What recourse do the people or entities who are due that money have, if any, and do you worry that Trump is granting clemency to people who don't show remorse? Liz Oyer: What the president has done in terms of using the pardon power to wipe out financial obligations that are owed to victims of crimes is unprecedented. The Chrisleys are one example among many of individuals who were required under federal law to pay what's called restitution, that means essentially paying back victims of crimes, but the pardons have the effect of wiping out that obligation to repay the victims, and those include people who are out of pocket very substantial sums. So that's an extremely unusual use of the pardon power, and it's one that really does prejudice the interests of people who have been victimized by crimes. Dana Taylor: And Liz, I mentioned former Virginia Sheriff Scott Jenkins at the top. He was convicted of receiving at least $75,000 in exchange for appointing North Virginia business executives as auxiliary deputies. He was scheduled to start a 10-year prison sentence the following day when the pardon came in. President Trump wrote on Proof social that he and his family were, "Dragged through hell by a corrupt and weaponized Biden DOJ." Do you worry that Trump is responding to personal emotional appeals rather than legal research? Liz Oyer: Trump does appear to be granting pardons to people in whom he sees something of his own story, something that he can relate to. But the case of Sheriff Jenkins was actually one that was a very straightforward case. He was caught on video accepting envelopes full of cash in exchange for bestowing badges upon people, so it's not a case where there was any doubt about his guilt. It is a case where the president decided to reward someone who was a political loyalist, and it's very unusual to see pardons of corrupt public officials in the way that Trump has been granting them. Sheriff Jenkins is actually one of, I believe, about eight public officials, elected officials, who have committed crimes involving an abuse of their official office who have received pardons from President Trump just in his second term alone. Dana Taylor: Why do you think it's important to have an independent set of eyes researching cases? Liz Oyer: What's so essential about the function that the Office of the Pardon Attorney has played historically is the vetting of candidates that they provide. The Department of Justice has a set of criteria that are very detailed and very rigorous that apply in every case before a recommendation is made to grant clemency. And in the interests of public safety, that vetting is taken very seriously so individuals who are not vetted won't get through this process. The vetting is an important component of it. And the other really important role that the Office of the Pardon Attorney has historically played is accessibility, making sure that the clemency process is accessible to all, not just those who have political connections, which unfortunately appear to be the only types of people who are getting clemency under the current administration. Dana Taylor: Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive, also received a pardon. His mother recently attended a $1 million plate Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for Trump's Super PAC. Do you worry the president will grant clemency in exchange for gifts or even bribes? Liz Oyer: It appears that we're getting very close to that line. Individuals who are making large donations to the President or his causes are seeing those donations rewarded in the form of pardons. Walczak is one example of that, but not the only example. There's an individual named Trevor Milton, who committed a massive fraud, defrauded his investors of over $600 million, and he made a campaign donation of $1.8 million to Trump and then got a pardon early in the administration. So it's becoming almost sort of a business transaction for people who are involved in white collar crime. They're making a calculation that, "I can pay X and that I can profit X times 100 on committing white collar crimes," which is not something that we should be encouraging in this manner, and it's not how the pardon process is supposed to work. Dana Taylor: The president was asked a couple of weeks ago if he would consider pardoning P Diddy, who's currently on trial for sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. In witness testimony, he's been described as violent and abusive. If this pardon were to happen, it would of course put an end to an emotional and taxing trial for his alleged victims. Is there any legal precedent for this? Liz Oyer: It's very unusual to grant pardons to people who are the subject of ongoing cases, but that has not deterred this president. This president has undercut his own justice department multiple times by pulling the rug out from under prosecutions that they're actively pursuing. It would be very unusual to grant a pardon to somebody in this circumstance who's currently on trial, but the president does have the authority to do that if that's what he chooses. I will note that one of the things that the Department of Justice ordinarily does is solicit input from victims of crimes about how they would feel about a pardon. That step is being skipped by this current administration. The people who are victims of these crimes that are being pardoned are not being consulted for their input, which again, is not how the process is supposed to work. Dana Taylor: These recent clemencies came on the heels of the biggest blanket clemency of all time, and that was for the January 6th rioters, including those who assaulted police officers. As a former pardon attorney, what's the takeaway here for the American public when it comes to pardons for Trump loyalists, and what message does it send to the law officer community? Liz Oyer: Well, that action, along with the other things this president has done have sent a very strong message that the pardon power is going to be used to reward political loyalists. He appointed a pardon attorney who essentially has said as much. After the pardon of that corrupt sheriff that you mentioned, Sheriff Jenkins, the new pardon attorney, Ed Martin, announced, "No MAGA left behind," which seemed to convey a view that MAGA supporters would be broadly considered for pardons if they have committed crimes. And certainly that's what the January 6th pardons reflect on an absolutely massive scale, that the president's supporters don't have to worry about committing crimes because they will be protected by pardons. Dana Taylor: Liz, does the Constitution say anything about the appearance of a two-tiered system of justice? Liz Oyer: The Constitution grants the President this unchecked power to grant pardons and commutations of sentence, and there really are no limits to it. But the framers who wrote this broad power into the Constitution intended that it would be used for mercy, that it would be used to correct excesses of the criminal justice system, not that it would be used to do special favors for people who have political connections or wealth, but that's exactly how it's being used now. The judge in the case of Paul Walczak that you mentioned actually said in sentencing Walczak to prison, "I'm sending the message that wealth is not a get out of jail free card in this country." And literally days later, Trump granted Walczak a pardon, which just illustrates that in fact, under Trump's system of justice, wealth can be and often is a get out of jail free card. Dana Taylor: As you've said, the power of the pardon has been used for centuries to grant clemency to those the President feels are deserving of it. In your opinion, has the legitimacy of the pardon power been called into question? Liz Oyer: Absolutely the legitimacy of the pardon power has been called into question. I think that there are a lot of people in this country now who are watching what's happening and asking why does this power even exist? It is a power that has a great deal of potential to be used for good. We saw it at its height under President Obama who used it in a very principled and disciplined way to reduce sentences of people who were over-incarcerated due to outdated mandatory minimums, and he did that in a way that was very fair and consistent across the board and did a lot of good. But the way it's been used more recently and what Trump is doing with it now is really raising legitimate questions about whether this power is a good thing. Dana Taylor: Thank you so much for sharing your insights and for being on The Excerpt, Liz. Liz Oyer: Thank you very much for having me. Dana Taylor: Thanks to our senior producers, Shannon Rae Green and Kaely Monahan for their production assistance. Our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to podcasts@ Thanks for listening. I'm Dana Taylor. Taylor Wilson will be back tomorrow morning with another episode of The Excerpt.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Judge asks to dismiss juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial for 'lack of candor' issue
Judge asks to dismiss juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial for 'lack of candor' issue Show Caption Hide Caption Rapper Ye makes surprise appearance at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial Rapper and fashion designer Ye made an appearance in New York at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial. The judge in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-crimes trial asked to dismiss a juror, two days after prosecutors raised issues about the man's alleged "lack of candor with the court." U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered for Juror No. 6 to be removed from the 12-person jury on Friday, June 13. Six alternates have been on the sidelines in the trial, which is wrapping its sixth week in Manhattan federal court. Addressing the court, Subramanian said, "Removal of the juror is required" and added, "The juror will be dismissed." The reason was "several inconsistencies" in the man's answers regarding where he lives. Subramanian continued, "The juror is unable to answer simple questions. … There are serious questions about the juror's candor and ability to follow instructions." Though it "seems like a trivial matter," it "goes to a juror's basic criteria to serve," he said. Because of the "changing answers and inconsistency," Subramanian said it brings up questions about whether the juror was truthful in responding to other questions more directly related to the case. Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson objected to the juror's dismissal. What happened with Juror No. 6? Before the jurors in question entered the courtroom June 11, prosecutors reportedly asked the judge to oust one of them, known as Juror No. 6. Several news outlets reported Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey told Judge Subramanian she saw "what appeared to be a lack of candor with the court" from Juror No. 6 "that raises serious issues." Alexandra Shapiro from Combs' team reportedly pushed back against the request, calling it "a thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror." This story is developing. Contributing: Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Parole denied for Doug Prade, former Akron cop serving life sentence for ex-wife's murder
[Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.] (WJW) — Doug Prade, a former Akron police captain who shot his ex-wife six times, killing her, while she was 'completely defenseless' inside her vehicle will stay in prison for now. The Ohio Parole Board on Wednesday, June 11, chose to keep Prade in prison while serving his life sentence for the 1997 murder of Dr. Margo Prade. 'This is a case that involved his decision to fire a weapon multiple times into the completely defenseless female victim,' reads the Wednesday ruling. ' … The brutality and callousness of the crime outweighs any positive parole suitability factors in his case. I-Team: Cleveland Heights officials asked FBI, BCI to investigate actions by mayor The parole board also found Doug Prade did not complete any programming to reduce his risk of reoffending. During his trial more than 20 years ago, testimony showed that after their divorce, Doug Prade continued to threaten and harass Margo Prade, a local physician. 'We were very afraid for Margo,' said Donzella Anuszkiewicz, a former federal investigator and friend of the Prade family, who spoke to FOX 8's Dave Nethers last month, before Prade's parole hearing. The murder happened on the eve of Thanksgiving. Margo Prade was shot six times while inside her minivan, which was parked outside her medical practice in Akron. Doug Prade maintained his innocence. In 2013, his conviction was overturned and he was released from prison after the discovery of new evidence of a bite mark on Margo Prade's lab coat. That evidence was later rejected and he wound up back behind bars. Prade was sentenced in 1998 to 20 years to life at Marion Correctional Institution, where he's spent more than 25 years in total, according to the parole board. Young mother killed in at local park was shot in the head: police The Ohio Supreme Court rejected his appeal in 2019. 'It was just a vicious murder and he deserves to serve a very long time in prison,' then-Summit County prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said at the time. 'He had been harassing her, He had been illegally wiretapping her phone, threatening her and assaulting her. She was terrified of him.' Doug Prade's next chance at parole comes in 2033, said a corrections department spokesperson. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
