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By Lilith Foster-Collins
News Reporter
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A Texas man is set to be executed on Wednesday for the kidnapping, sexual assault and shooting of the 18-year-old girlfriend of his drug dealer in 2001.
Ramiro Gonzales' execution by lethal injection is planned for Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
His lawyers have argued for clemency citing his radical personal transformation during his nearly two decades on death row.
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Gonzales, 41, fatally shot Townsend after stealing drugs and money and kidnapping her in January 2001 from a home in Bandera County, located northwest of San Antonio.
He took her to his family's ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her.
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Townsend's remains were not found until two years after she vanished, when Gonzales, having received two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman, led authorities to the spot in Southwest Texas where he left her body.
According to his layers, Gonzales has devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation and prayer since his crime at the age of 18, and is no longer a danger to society.
During his original trial, psychiatrist Edward Gripon testified that Gonzales would likely pose a future threat.
However, after reassessing Gonzales in 2022, Gripon recanted his testimony, stating that Gonzales "is now a significantly different person both mentally and emotionally."
Gonzales is a coordinator of a faith-based program on death row, helping other inmates. His sermons have been broadcast on the prison radio show.
"He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult," his lawyers wrote in a petition to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Gonzales expressed regret at his crime in a video as part of his clemency request: "I just want (Townsend's mother) to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother."
"So, every day it's a continual task to do everything that I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took."
"Love, mercy, grace, forgiveness. All these are acts of God. That's what's been so instrumental to my life," Gonzales said in a video.
11 evangelical leaders wrote to Gov. Greg Abbott and the parole board, urging them to grant clemency.
"We are writing as Christians calling for you to spare the life of another Christian – Ramiro Gonzales. Ramiro has changed. Because he has changed, we believe the circumstances surrounding him should change as well," they stated.
On Monday, the parole board voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzales' death sentence to a lesser penalty, and also rejected a six-month reprieve.
Prosecutors maintain that his original crimes, compounded by a long criminal history, justify the death penalty. "The State's punishment case was overwhelming," the Texas Attorney General's Office stated.
Bridget Townsend's brother, David Townsend, has been vocal in opposing clemency efforts, emphasizing the need for closure after years of heartache.
"Our family seeks not revenge, but closure and a measure of peace after years of heartache — a quest that is hindered, not helped, by decisions that allow the perpetrator of our pain to remain in the public eye," he wrote.
Gonzales' execution has been delayed several times, including in October 2021, when he claimed that Texas violated his religious freedom.
Gonzales and another inmate claimed their religious freedom had been violated by not allowing spiritual advisers to pray out loud and place a hand on them at the time of their death.
According to Texas prison officials, praying out loud could be disruptive, and direct contact poses a security risk.
Update 06/27/2024 02:40 ET: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Ramiro Gonzales' name.
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