Killer Of 93-Year-Old Woman In $10 Burglary To Die

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) – Condemned killer William Murray heads to the Texas death chamber tonight for raping and strangling a 93-year-old woman.

Rena Ratcliff was attacked during a 1998 burglary of her rural Kaufman County house near Dallas.

The defense says appeals for Murray have been exhausted.

Power outages in the Huntsville area — due to Hurricane Ike — failed to halt plans for the lethal injection of the former auto mechanic and laborer from Kaufman.

The Huntsville Unit, where executions are carried out, now has normal electric service.

Murray would be the ninth condemned Texas prisoner put to death this year.

Murray recently told The Associated Press that he’s guilty of the crime and is remorseful. He says all he can do is “pray to the Lord to forgive me.”

On the Net:

Execution schedule: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/scheduledexecutions.htm

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)