Date
of Execution: |
October 8,
1997 |
Offender: |
Dwight
Adanandus #940 |
Last
Statement: |
Ms. Craft and Ms. Bethrie, I don’t
know what to say to you but I apologize for the pain I have
caused you and your family over the years. I hope that you
will accept my apology and that you will know that it is
sincere. I hope this will
allow you and your family to move on and I hope you will
forgive me and I hope Mr. Hanon [illegible] will
forgive me for taking his life.
Please accept my apology. I love
you all.
I am finished. |
Dwight Dwayne Adanandus, 31,
went into Continental National Bank that Thursday with a .22-caliber
pistol, a bag, and a note requesting money. While Adanandus tried to
escape, the bank cashier began to scream.
Vernon Hanan was going into
the bank that Thursday to cash a check. Upon entering the bank,
Hanan heard a cry for help and grabbed the fleeing suspect. After a
struggle, Adanandus shot and left Hanan fatally wounded.
Adanandus quickly fled the
area and hid under a nearby house for four hours. A man-hunt took
place led by the San Antonio Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. Witnesses and clues led the police to the house
where Adanandus finally gave up.
Adanandus was convicted of
capital murder and was sentenced to death on May 23, 1989 by Judge
J. Maloney of the 175 Judicial District Court of Bexar County.
Adanandus’ attorney Julie Pollock was appointed to Adanandus and
appealed the decision bringing up 46 points of error. “I raised
quite a bit of issues to avoid the possibility of waiving any
possible errors,” Pollock said. “I remember I was struggling to
find any errors in the original trial.” Some of Adanandus’ defenses
were that he had no intent to kill, was provoked by Hanan, and was
absent during the voir dire.
No appeals worked. On Oct.
1, 1997 Adanandus became the 500th person executed in the
United States since the death penalty was reinstated. The state also
reached a 40-year high for executions in a year, with Anandus
becoming number 76 in 1997.
Adanandus had a cheeseburger,
French fries, and iced tea for his last meal.
Adanandus gave his last words
saying, “I don’t know what to say to you but I apologize for the
pain I have caused you and your family over the years. I hope that
you will accept my apology and that you will know that it is
sincere. I hope this will allow you and your family to move on and
… you will forgive me and… Mr. Hanan will forgive me for taking his
life. Please accept my apology. I love you all. I am finished.”
Witnessing the execution were Dineen Croft, wife of the victim,
Kami Bethke, daughter of the victim, and Adanandus’ three sisters,
his mother and his aunt.