Texas Inmate Brent Brewer Executed Despite Claims of Discredited Testimony and Misleading Jury Instructions

Unsuccessful appeals focused on discredited expert who predicted Brewer's future dangerousness and a juror's assertion of misleading instructions during 2009 resentencing; Brewer's clemency application highlighted his remorse and rehabilitation efforts.

Brent Ray Brewer, a Texas inmate, was executed on November 9, 2023, for the 1990 murder of Robert Laminack, despite Brewer and his attorneys' claims of discredited testimony and misleading jury instructions playing a significant role in his sentencing.
Brewer was resentenced to death in 2009 after his original 1991 death sentence was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the jury was not given appropriate instructions when determining sentencing.
The main point of contention was the testimony of expert Richard Coons and his prediction of Brewer's future dangerousness, a legal requirement to impose a death sentence. Brewer's attorneys stated that Coons' testimony was false and unscientific, a claim later corroborated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in a 2010 ruling.
The claims of misleading jury instructions highlight the issue of unclear sentencing guidelines for jurors, stirring a statewide legislative debate. Several jurors over the years have expressed that they would have opted for life sentences without the possibility of parole if they had understood it was an option.
Brewer had applied for clemency based on his remorse for the killing, his peaceful behavior during his time on death row, and his religious transformation. His application was unanimously denied by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.