A South Texas man convicted of murdering three young children he helped raise was executed Thursday evening, nearly 23 years after the killings.
John Allen Rubio, 46, of Brownsville, received a lethal injection at a state prison in Huntsville, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Rubio was convicted of stabbing and beheading his children, Julissa Quezada, 3, John Esteban Rubio, 1, and Mary Jane Rubio, 2 months old. He was prosecuted alongside his common-law wife, Angela Camacho.
Rubio was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m., 21 minutes after the lethal injection began, The AP said.
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The execution, scheduled for 6 p.m., proceeded without incident.
In his final statement, Rubio thanked his friends and family for their “love and understanding,” acknowledged that he was “not the same person I once was” and expressed his love for his wife, according to the AP.
“I want to say I’m sorry to my wife’s family,” he said. “I can’t change the past, but I can tell you my life is going to be over. But that’s not going to make you happy.
“I’m going to be with my kids in a little bit,” he added. “I’m ready to go to heaven to be with my lord and savior.”
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The execution brought an end to a case dating back to March 11, 2003, when Rubio and Camacho killed their three children inside a windowless apartment.
According to court records, Rubio was not the biological father of the two older children but had nevertheless taken on a parental role in their lives, the outlet reported.
In the lead-up to the killings, Rubio reportedly claimed the children were possessed and cast himself as the “chosen one” destined to save the world.
Rubio at one point pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Defense experts reportedly diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, but prosecution experts ultimately disputed the findings.
His defense team also painted a picture of a deeply troubled childhood, citing violence, toxic parents, drug use and prostitution as factors that stunted his development, the AP said.
Camacho pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence for her role in the murders, according to reports.
The apartment building where the children were killed has since been demolished, and the property was transformed into a community park and garden, according to the AP.
Rubio’s death marked the second of two executions scheduled in the U.S. for Thursday.
Just hours earlier, James Pavatt, 73, was put to death by lethal injection in Oklahoma. Pavatt was convicted of plotting and carrying out the 2001 killing of his partner’s estranged husband.