Juan Salvez Soria

Case record: Juan Salvez Soria

Timeline

• June 28, 1985 — Allen Bolden disappeared; his body was later found in a wooded area of north Fort Worth.
• June 30, 1985 — Soria and two others were arrested near Del Rio in a car last driven by Allen E. Bolden.
• July 1, 1985 — Bolden's body was found in Fort Worth based on information given by Mike Lagunas.
• June 8, 1994 — The Court of Criminal Appeals reformed Soria's sentence to life in prison in a 5-4 opinion.
• Sept. 11, 1996 — Rehearing was granted and the death sentence was reinstated.
• Nov. 6, 1996 — The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Soria's motion for rehearing.
• June 2, 1997 — The United States Supreme Court denied Soria's petition for writ of certiorari.
• Aug. 4, 1997 — The United States Supreme Court denied motion for rehearing.
• July 31, 1998 — The trial court recommended that state habeas relief be denied.
• Nov. 18, 1998 — The Court of Criminal Appeals agreed with the trial court and denied relief.
• March 25, 1999 — The District Court entered order denying federal habeas relief.
• March 16, 2000 — The Fifth Circuit denied permission to appeal.
• June 9, 2000 — Soria attacked a 78-year-old volunteer prison chaplain with a razor, resulting in serious and permanent injuries.
• July 24, 2000 — The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny reprieve and/or commutation.
• July 26, 2000 — Soria was executed by lethal injection in Texas.

Background

Juan Salvez Soria was convicted in Tarrant County, Texas and sentenced to death for the June 1985 murder of 17-year-old Allen Bolden, a recent graduate of Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas. Allen Bolden had been a competitive swimmer and gave swimming lessons at the Panther Boys Club in Fort Worth. He also worked as a lifeguard at the Fort Worth Boys Club.

Soria and Mike Lagunas asked Bolden for a ride as he was leaving work. Bolden agreed. Soria was described as the son of a migrant worker with a 9th-grade education. He had worked sporadically in construction and at an auto body shop. One account said he had never before been in legal trouble, while another account said he had been arrested once for vandalizing and attempting to break into a church.

Soria was 33 at the time of his execution, and 18 at the time of the killing. During his time on death row, officials described a history of self-mutilation and suicide attempts. After an attack on a volunteer chaplain, he was placed in the psychiatric unit.

The offence

Soria and Mike Lagunas kidnapped Allen Bolden in Fort Worth. After Bolden was taken into their car, Lagunas put a gun to Bolden's head and told him to drive to an area under a bridge. There, Lagunas hit Bolden in the head with a rock. Soria stabbed Bolden twice in the back of the head, killing him.

After the murder, Soria and Lagunas stole Bolden's car and picked up two friends and bragged about killing Bolden. One account described them robbing an ice cream truck for gas money. They then traveled toward Del Rio, where they planned to sell Bolden's Oldsmobile Toronado for $5,000.

Later, Soria was stopped for speeding near Del Rio and was arrested after police discovered the car was reported stolen.

Soria later told police that he “bent down and stabbed the guy twice in the soft spot at the back of the head.”

Investigation

Evidence included statements and conduct before and after the killing.

In early June, Soria discussed with friends his plans to kill Bolden, whom he knew from the Fort Worth Boys Club. An initial attempt by Soria to carry out his plan the day before was aborted because, as Soria told a friend, he did not “know what to do with him” or “where to take him.”

Shortly after the murder, Soria and Lagunas bragged about killing Bolden. Soria told friends, “We did it, man, we did it” and described stabbing Bolden.

Two days after the killing, Soria was stopped for speeding by a highway patrolman outside of Del Rio, Texas. Soria lied to police about his name and address. The patrolman, upon learning the car was stolen, took Soria and the other occupants to the county jail.

Bolden's body was found on July 1, 1985 based on information given to police by Soria's friend, Mike Lagunas. The next day, Soria confessed to an Arlington police officer that he killed Allen Bolden. The murder weapon was found in the seat of the car Soria had stolen from Bolden.

Arrest

Soria and two others were arrested June 30, 1985, near Del Rio in a car last driven by Allen E. Bolden, a 17-year-old Boy's Club lifeguard who disappeared two days before. One account said Soria, Lagunas, and a 14-year-old juvenile companion were driving the stolen car when they were pulled over for speeding. Police discovered the car was reported stolen and arrested them.

Trial

Soria was indicted in 1985 in Tarrant County on offenses of murdering Allen Bolden while in the course of committing and attempting to commit robbery and kidnapping.

A jury found Soria guilty of capital murder in June 1986. Soria received the death penalty.

During the punishment phase, a police officer testified that Soria had a reputation of not being a law-abiding citizen. While Soria was in jail before his murder trial, it was stated that he beat up another inmate with a broom he had hidden under his mattress.

During this period, jailers found in Soria's cell a self-portrait drawn by Soria depicting him holding a bloody knife. Jailers also discovered and confiscated a razor blade from Soria's jail cell.

Sentencing

Soria received a death sentence following his capital murder conviction.

In prison, Soria attacked a volunteer chaplain with a razor on June 9, 2000. The attack resulted in serious and permanent injuries. One account described the chaplain’s arm as nearly severed, and another account described the chaplain’s wrist being cut to the bone, severing the arteries and tendons, requiring emergency surgery.

The chaplain was identified as a 78-year-old volunteer prison chaplain. One report identified him as William Paul Westbrook, a 78-year-old Baptist chaplain from Livingston, and stated he was doing volunteer ministry at the Terrell Unit. The chaplain had ministered to Soria in the past. Authorities used tear gas to stop the attack and subdue Soria.

In addition to the June 9, 2000 attack, the case materials described Soria had been placed in the psychiatric unit after the incident and that he was moved to a prison medical unit where he was under doctor's care.

Appeals

Soria’s appeals included both state and federal proceedings. The following appellate dates were given:

• **Sept.
• **Nov.
• **Aug.
• **Nov.

One account stated that Soria had two appeals pending at the time: one to the U.S. Supreme Court based on trial error and exclusion of Hispanics from the jury, and another to the 18-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles seeking a stay of execution or commutation to a life sentence.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected clemency by an 18-0 vote.

A state district judge denied Soria’s lawyer’s claim that Soria was not competent to be executed.

Outcome

Juan Soria was executed by lethal injection in Texas on July 26, 2000 after 6 p.m. Central USA time.

His last statement included references to Allah and divine love numerous times. The statement ended with:

“They say I am going to have surgery, so I guess I will see everyone after this surgery is performed. It is finished.”

He was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m.

Aftermath

After his conviction, accomplice Mike Lagunas pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Family members and others made statements regarding the execution and clemency. Soria’s sister, Myrna Soria, said the family was hoping her brother could be awarded clemency or at least a stay of execution and said: “We feel he does not deserve it [the execution] because he didn't have a fair trial. “We want to say to the family of Allen Bolden that we are very sorry this happened, and we apologize and hope they can forgive my brother for what he did.”

Allen Bolden’s mother, Laurie Bolden, said: “I feel I have already forgiven him, but I want to see justice done,” and Allen’s father, Edward Bolden, said he had planned not to witness the execution, and stated: “But then because of the attack on the prison chaplain, I decided I should,” and “It just seems that as a parent this is the final step I need to take to put this behind. Not in terms of closure, but that I need to step forward and do this.”

Other details

Soria and Lagunas were described as having planned for several days to attack Allen Bolden. The crime was described as a series of crimes against Bolden beginning when Soria and Lagunas asked Bolden for a ride as he was leaving work as a lifeguard/swimming instructor.

Two days after the murder, it was stated that Soria was stopped for speeding by a highway patrolman outside of Del Rio, Texas. The patrolman learned that the car was stolen and took Soria and other occupants to the county jail.

One report described Soria’s execution as the second this month in Texas and the 26th this year, and stated that at least six executions were scheduled for August.

In relation to Soria’s criminal history, it was stated that two months before murdering Allen Bolden, Soria burglarized a church and caused about $1,000 worth of damage. It was also stated that while Soria was in jail awaiting trial, jailers found in his cell a self-portrait and confiscated a razor blade.

A volunteer chaplain attack was described in multiple ways: officials said the chaplain’s arm was tied to a toilet with a sheet and that Soria nearly sawed it off with a razor blade; another account described the chaplain’s wrist being cut to the bone with severed arteries and tendons.

Some materials described a claim that Soria was mentally ill and that he attempted to kill himself again the weekend before his execution; one report said Soria’s attorney said his client had tried to kill himself, and that Larry Fitzgerald said: “He is back on suicide watch,” and that Bill Harris said: “I think the guy is mentally ill,” “I don't know the extent. Of course, there's a distinction between being mentally ill and being competent to be executed. “You've really got to be pretty profoundly mentally ill and you have to have people to believe that you legitimately don't know you're going to be executed, or that it's imminent or why you're being executed. You can be pretty sick and still know those three things.”