Texas Execution of 'Desert Killer' Blocked After 30 Years on Death Row

The execution of David Leonard Wood, a Texas death row inmate convicted of killing six girls and young women more than three decades ago, has been put on hold by a Texas appeals court. Wood, often referred to as the "Desert Killer," was set to die by lethal injection this week after spending nearly 33 years on death row. However, the court issued a pause "until further order," offering no details in their three-page decision.

The 67-year-old's case has been riddled with delays. In 2009, an execution date was called off just 24 hours prior due to claims of intellectual disability. While those claims were dismissed by a judge, his new execution date, scheduled for Thursday, has once again been halted. Six of the nine members of the Texas appeals court agreed to the stay, while two judges opposed it, and one recused himself from the proceedings.

Wood was convicted of the 1987 murders of Rosa Casio, Ivy Williams, Karen Baker, Angelica Frausto, Desiree Wheatley, and Dawn Smith, whose bodies were discovered in shallow graves in the desert northeast of El Paso. Authorities allege he lured his victims by offering them rides before sexually assaulting and killing them. The gruesome discoveries haunted the community for years until Wood allegedly bragged about being the "Desert Killer" to a fellow inmate.

Despite the mountain of evidence, including his history as a repeat sex offender, Wood has consistently maintained his innocence. In recent court filings, he declared, "I did not do it. I am innocent of this case. I’ll fight it." Two additional girls and one young woman, reported missing around the same time, were never found, further deepening the tragedy of this case.

This marks the second execution delayed in the U.S. on Tuesday alone, following a federal judge's decision to halt Louisiana’s first planned execution using nitrogen gas. Such delays continue to fuel debates about the justice system's ability to provide timely resolutions for victims' families while ensuring due process for the accused.