Vaughn Ross
Vaughn Ross | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | July 18, 2013 | (aged 41)
Criminal charge | Murder (February 4, 2001) |
Penalty | Death (September 27, 2002) |
Details | |
Victims | Douglas Birdsall Viola Ross McVade |
Location(s) | Lubbock, Texas |
Vaughn Ross (September 4, 1971 – July 18, 2013) was a Texas murderer. He was a graduate student at Texas Tech University before being convicted for the January 31, 2001, murders of Douglas Birdsall, 53, and Viola Ross McVade, 18, in Lubbock County, Texas, United States.[1][2][3]
Background
Viola was the sister of Ross's girlfriend. Douglas Birdsall had been the associate dean at the Texas Tech library. Ross shot both victims. Later the same day, a mountain biker came across the murder scene and found both Douglas's and Viola's bodies in a car.[4] DNA on a latex glove found in Birdsall's car and a sweatshirt Vaughn was wearing had blood of Douglas Birdsallt these were two things that linked Ross to the double murder.[4] In 2002 Ross was found guilty and sentenced to death by lethal injection by a jury.[5]
Ross received attention in Sweden after he agreed to be part of a special theme week about the death penalty in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.[6] Aftonbladet covered his case and his last week alive before his execution and reported live from outside the prison on the day of the execution.[7]
Ross left a final statement before being executed which was revealed to Aftonbladet reporter Carina Bergfeldt.[1]
See also
- Capital punishment in Texas
- List of offenders executed in the United States in 2013
- List of people executed in Texas, 2010–19
- Lists of people executed in Texas
References
- ^ a b Vaughn Ross final statement. Twitter.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ Cooper, Robbie (2013-07-17) EXECUTION WATCH: Vaughn Ross (TX) Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine. UrbanGrounds. Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ Lubbock man scheduled to be executed for double murder |myFOXlubbock.com | FOX 34 News Lubbock, Texas Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine. myFOXlubbock.com (2013-07-17). Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ a b Vaughn Ross Execution: Ex-grad student set to die for killing 2 in Texas – Crimesider. CBS News (2013-07-13). Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ Jury deliberates fate of Ross | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock Online (2002-09-24). Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ Om en vecka ska Ross dö | Nyheter | Aftonbladet. Aftonbladet.se (2013-07-11). Retrieved on 2013-07-19.
- ^ Bergfeldt, Carina (2013-07-18) I dag ska Vaughn Ross dö | En vecka med döden. Bloggar.aftonbladet.se. Retrieved on 2013-07-19. Archived July 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine