Jamaal Howard was executed in Texas on October 7, 2026, nearly two decades after he was convicted in the 2000 killing of Chevron gas station worker Vicky Swartout in Silsbee. Howard, who was 20 at the time of the crime, was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m. at the Huntsville Unit after receiving a lethal injection of pentobarbital. Before the execution, Howard offered an apology to Swartout’s loved ones and asked them to forgive him. He also addressed the prison warden, telling him he was ready, then thanked his family and friends and said he was in a good state of mind as he sought peace and the Lord. His final message was a simple wish for others to “enjoy life” and have peace. The execution came after his attorneys unsuccessfully challenged whether he was competent to be put to death, citing intellectual disability and a history of mental illness.

In the hours surrounding his execution, Howard remained engaged with the officers and prison staff accompanying him. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Amanda Hernandez said he spent the 45-minute trip from death row to the Huntsville Unit making small talk with officers and continued asking questions after arriving at the death chamber. His legal team had pursued efforts to halt the execution, while Howard had maintained his innocence during parts of the legal process. Those challenges ultimately failed, and the execution proceeded as scheduled. Howard became the seventh person executed by Texas in 2026, with two additional executions scheduled in the state later this year. His final words, particularly his apology and request for forgiveness, added a deeply personal moment to a case that had remained in the legal system for years. For Swartout’s loved ones, however, the execution marked the latest chapter in a tragedy that began with a robbery and shooting at a Texas gas station in 2000.