Texas executed John Allen Rubio on Thursday evening for the 2003 beheadings of three children, just hours after Oklahoma carried out an execution for a 2001 murder.
Rubio, 46, was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. following a lethal injection at a state prison in Huntsville, according to USA Today. The execution marked the 37th death in the United States for 2026, following the death of James Pavatt in Oklahoma earlier that day.
The 2003 Brownsville Murders
Rubio was convicted of the stabbing and beheading of three children: 3-year-old Julissa Quesada, 14-month-old John E. Rubio, and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio.
While Rubio was not the biological father of the two older children, court records show he had taken on a parental role in their lives. He was prosecuted alongside his common-law wife, Angela Camacho, who pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder to avoid the death penalty and is currently serving three life sentences.
At various points during the legal process, Rubio claimed the children were possessed and that he was the “chosen one” intended to save the world. Rubio previously stated the children were decapitated because he believed they were possessed by his deceased grandmother.
Defense Cites Schizophrenia and Childhood Trauma in Appeals
Throughout his appeals, Rubio’s defense team argued that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. While defense experts provided this diagnosis, prosecution experts disputed those findings. His lawyers also cited a childhood marked by drug use, prostitution, and violence as factors that caused developmental damage. A cellmate in prison claimed to have heard Rubio say he intended to fake mental retardation to facilitate an insanity defense.
Rubio’s legal journey included a 2007 reversal of his original conviction by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled that statements made by Camacho had been improperly admitted. He was retried in 2010, found guilty a second time, and sentenced to death.
His defense attorneys also filed lawsuits regarding the state’s use of pentobarbital, alongside inmate LeJames Norman, who has since been executed. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals recently denied a motion from Rubio’s attorneys to stay his execution.
I want to say I’m sorry to my wife’s family. 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.
John Allen Rubio, via AP
In his final moments, Rubio expressed a desire to be reunited with the children. “I’m going to be with my kids in a little bit,” he said, adding, “I’m ready to go to heaven to be with my lord and savior.” He also noted, “I adored my children. I was seeing such crazy things that I thought it was the end of the world.”
Following a brief prayer from a spiritual adviser, Rubio thanked his friends and family for their “love and understanding”, acknowledged he was “not the same person I once was”, and expressed love for his wife. As the sedative pentobarbital took effect, Rubio took three breaths and began to sound like he was snoring. He was pronounced dead by a physician 21 minutes after the lethal injection began.
National Execution Trends
The dual executions in Texas and Oklahoma represent the 36th and 37th deaths in the U.S. so far in 2026. The nation is on track to surpass 40 executions for the second consecutive year, a pace driven largely by Florida, which has carried out 19 executions this year.
| State | Inmate | Crime Year |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | John Allen Rubio | 2003 |
| Oklahoma | James Pavatt | 2001 |
In Texas, the apartment building where the 2003 killings occurred has been demolished. The site has since been converted into a community garden and the Tres Angeles Park to commemorate the victims. Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said that the long legal process has been emotional for the children’s family. A candlelight vigil to remember the three children was scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. at Tres Angeles Park.
Earlier coverage: Texas Executes John Allen Rubio for Beheading Three Children
