Steven Renfro

Timeline

• February 9, 1998 — Steven Renfro was executed by lethal injection in Texas; he was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. CST after a lethal dose of drugs was released into his arms.
• August 25, 1996 — Steven Renfro took what he told authorities were 70 doses of the tranquilizer Valium along with liquor, dressed in camouflage clothing, blackened his face, armed himself with four guns including a military assault rifle, and carried 500 rounds of ammunition; he shot and killed three people and wounded a police officer during his rampage.
• 1983 — Steven Renfro was convicted of a pickax attack in Houston that left two people dead.
• April — A jury convicted Steven Renfro of capital murder.
• Last November — A judge in Marshall set Steven Renfro’s execution date for Monday.
• Six days earlier (relative to February 10, 1998 reporting) — Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker; the reporting described it as the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War.
• Monday (relative to February 10, 1998 reporting) — Prison officials prepared for Steven Renfro’s execution; his execution was scheduled for after 6 p.m. that day.

Background

Steven Ceon Renfro was 40 years old. He had been convicted of a pickax attack in Houston in 1983 that left two people dead. He was known to authorities in Marshall, with frequent arrests for drunken driving and assault. Rick Berry, a high school classmate and the Harrison County District Attorney who prosecuted Renfro, said that even in high school Renfro was known for a quick temper made worse by alcohol, and that when he was drinking he would “hit you with a pool cue, shoot you, try to stab you or just beat you to a pulp.” Berry added: “If drinking, he’s the kind of guy who would fight a grizzly bear.”

The offence

On August 25, 1996, after taking what he told authorities were 70 doses of the tranquilizer Valium along with liquor, Steven Renfro put on camouflage clothing, blackened his face, and armed himself with four guns including a military assault rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition. He shot and killed his live-in girlfriend, Rhena Fultner (36). He then killed an aunt who lived with them, Rose Rutledge (63). Renfro then went to the nearby trailer home of George Counts (40), an acquaintance against whom he had a grudge, and he fired more than 150 rounds into Counts’ mobile home, fatally shooting him.

When police responded to reports of gunfire, Renfro opened fire again, wounding Marshall Officer Dominic Pondant in the shoulder and turning his patrol car “into Swiss cheese.” Police exchanging fire were outgunned by Renfro’s .45- and .50-caliber handguns and an AR-15 rifle, but one of Renfro’s weapons malfunctioned and Pondant was able to hit the gunman. After he was arrested, “I killed them all,” was stated as what Renfro told officers.

A separate account described that Renfro dressed in camouflage clothing and armed himself with several assault weapons when he saw Fultner having sex with two unidentified men. It also described that after shooting Fultner and Rutledge, Renfro drove to Counts’ trailer home and fired a barrage of bullets into the structure when he was refused admittance. Another quoted statement attributed to Renfro was: “I killed them all. I killed my whole family.”

Investigation

Police responded to reports of gunfire. When they arrived, Renfro opened fire again and wounded Marshall Officer Dominic Pondant in the shoulder while turning his patrol car “into Swiss cheese.” Authorities described the patrol car damage as “into Swiss cheese.” A weapon malfunction was described, after which Pondant was able to hit the gunman.

Arrest

After police responded and exchanged fire, one of Renfro’s weapons malfunctioned and Dominic Pondant was able to hit the gunman. Renfro was then arrested. After his arrest, Renfro told officers: “I killed them all.”

Trial

A jury convicted Steven Renfro of capital murder in April. After the conviction, Renfro ended his trial by telling jurors he should be put to death, and the jurors agreed.

Sentencing

Steven Renfro was convicted and condemned less than 10 months before his execution. After a judge in Marshall set his execution date in last November, Renfro’s execution date was scheduled for Monday.

Renfro asked that no appeals be pursued and that his execution be carried out as soon as possible. The prosecutor and Renfro, described as high school classmates, sat down together in Berry’s office, munching hamburgers from a fast food restaurant, and discussed “what it was like to be kids here ... about life, the death penalty.” Berry said: “We had kind of a handshake deal, that we're going to see this thing through.” He said: “He needs to be subject to the sentence that the jury put forward for the crime he did. He slaughtered these people. He would have killed several Marshall police officers if given the opportunity, except for a little bit of bad luck on his part with a gun jamming and the good luck of police officers, it would have been a much worse situation.” Berry continued: “But whether three or six people died, one is too many.”

Appeals

Renfro refused to meet with reporters and was not pursuing any appeals to stay his execution. Renfro also asked that no appeals be pursued and that his execution be carried out as soon as possible.

Outcome

Steven Renfro was executed by lethal injection in Texas on February 9, 1998. He voluntarily headed to the death chamber on a conviction less than 10 months old. He asked that no appeals be pursued and his execution be carried out as soon as possible. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. CST, seven minutes after a lethal dose of drugs was released into his arms.

His final statement was:

I’d like to tell the victims’ family how terribly sorry I am.
I am so sorry. Forgive me, if you can. I know it’s impossible, but try.
Take my hand, Lord Jesus, I’m coming home. Glory be to God

As the drugs took effect, Renfro blinked his eyes and gasped three times before he stopped breathing.

A witness statement attributed to James Carpenter was included:

I think it should have been rougher.
I can’t forgive him. He turned to us and apologized. He had a smile and then gasped. All I could think of was: He's lying.

Rick Berry’s explanation for Renfro’s decision included:

“I think there are some religious overtones, that he believes this is a way to get to heaven,”
“By voluntarily going ahead and being punished, it's like an atonement. He's pretty adamant about this.”

Aftermath

During the execution process, about two dozen death-penalty opponents showed up, arriving less than 45 minutes before Renfro was to die. The scene was described as much more tranquil than the scene outside the Huntsville Unit during Texas’s execution of Karla Faye Tucker six days earlier, which was described as involving “an estimated 1,200 singing, praying or cheering spectators and some 200 reporters and photographers from around the world.”

Before execution, prison spokesman David Nunnelee said: none of the fanfare that surrounded last week’s execution of Karla Faye Tucker was expected for Renfro’s execution. Another statement in the reporting described: Renfro has refused to meet with reporters and is not pursuing any appeals to stay his execution.

Other details

Prison officials described Renfro’s turning his patrol car “into Swiss cheese.” Police exchanged fire and Renfro was described as having .45- and .50-caliber handguns and an AR-15 rifle; one of his weapons malfunctioned and Dominic Pondant was able to hit the gunman.

Victims named in the case were:

• Rhena Fultner (36) (live-in girlfriend)
• Rose Rutledge (63) (aunt who lived with them)
• George Counts (40) (acquaintance; shot after Renfro had a grudge against him; reported as killed by firing more than 150 rounds into his mobile home)

A quoted statement attributed to Renfro to police during his arrest was: “I killed them all.” Another quoted statement attributed to Renfro was: “I killed them all. I killed my whole family.”