Eliseo Hernandez Moreno (September 27, 1959 – March 4, 1987) was an American spree killer who killed six people in the Houston region of Texas on October 11, 1983. Moreno shot and killed his wife, brother-in-law, a Texas Highway Patrol trooper, and three strangers before he was arrested. Moreno was found guilty of all six homicides and executed in 1987 for the murder of the police officer.[1]
Eliseo Moreno | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eliseo Hernandez Moreno September 27, 1959 Hidalgo County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 1987 (aged 27) Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Occupation | Mechanic |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder Murder (5 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Date | October 11, 1983 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Texas |
| Killed | 6 |
| Weapons |
|
Events
editOn October 11, 1983, Moreno was out searching for his estranged wife, Esther Garza, when he killed her and his brother-in-law, Juan Garza, in College Station before killing Texas Highway Patrol trooper Russell Boyd north of Hempstead.[2] In Hempstead itself, Moreno murdered three elderly people and took a family hostage from whom he was brought to Pasadena. Officers at a Wharton County roadblock arrested Moreno while he was driving towards the Rio Grande Valley with another hostage.[3]
Aftermath
editMoreno was sentenced to death in 1984 for the murder of Boyd. In October 1985, he was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment for the murders of Juan Garza and Esther Garza, and an additional 35 years imprisonment for the murders of James Bennatte, Allie Wilkins, and Ann Benatt. He pleaded guilty to all charges and refused any appeals. On March 4, 1987, after only three years on death row, Moreno was executed at the Huntsville Unit via lethal injection.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Texas Death Row Information
- ^ Moreno v. State
- ^ "TEXAN WHO KILLED 6 IN 1983 IS EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION (Published 1987)". The New York Times. 5 March 1987. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05.
- ^ Texas Death Row, Chapter 22
