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6mo ago

Texas Executes Moises Mendoza for 2004 Murder of Rachelle Tolleson

Mendoza, 41, was executed by lethal injection after two decades of appeals and used his final statement to apologize to the victim’s family.

Moises Sandoval Mendoza (left) and a file photo of an execution table (right).
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Moises Mendoza was housed on Texas death row at the Allan B. Polunksy Unit in Livingston, Texas.
The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.

Overview

  • Moises Sandoval Mendoza was executed on April 23, 2025, at 6:40 p.m. CT in Huntsville, Texas, for the 2004 murder of 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson.
  • Tolleson, a young mother, was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted, strangled, and stabbed before Mendoza burned her body to conceal evidence.
  • In his final statement, Mendoza expressed remorse to Tolleson’s family, apologizing for taking her life and leaving her daughter without a mother.
  • Mendoza’s appeals, which included claims of false testimony and ineffective legal counsel, were denied by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • This marks the third execution in Texas this year and the 13th in the United States, highlighting ongoing debates over the death penalty and its application.