A man has been executed by lethal injection for the murder of a dad-of-nine after he stabbed the grocery worker 29 times.
John Henry Ramirez, 38, was pronounced dead at 6.41pm local time in the state's death chamber in Huntsville, Texas, following the murder of Pablo Castro in Corpus Christi in 2004.
Witnesses were seen leaving the Texas State Penitentiary following the execution by lethal injection which was given at 6.27pm.
The inmates last request saw his Christian pastor lay his hands on him as he audibly prayed - while the murderer was being injected with a lethal substance.
Pastor Dana Moore has regularly driven about 300 miles (480 km) north to Livingston to pray with Ramirez in prison.
The inmate was a member of the Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi and he managed to get his request accepted to have Christian pastor Dana Moore present.
He was executed seven months after the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Ramirez's favour in his case against the state of Texas, which rejected his request for pastoral touch and prayer while he dies.
The decision bolsters the religious rights of condemned inmates.
His case centred on religious protections under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and a 2000 federal law that requires officials to show a compelling interest to deny a prisoner's religious-based request and to do so using the least restrictive means.
Texas defended its position by emphasising its need to maintain security during the execution.
Outsiders touching inmates in the execution chamber could inadvertently disrupt intravenous lines, and audible prayer could interfere with officials' ability to monitor for signs of distress, the state said.
John was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of Castro, a father-of-nine who worked nights at a convenience store in the southern Texas city of Corpus Christi.
Seeking money to buy drugs, he stabbed Castro 29 times and made off with $1.25 on July 19, 2004, prosecutors said.
The store worker was taking rubbish out when he was robbed and stabbed as John went on a series of robberies during a three-day drug binge.
He initially fled to Mexico and was later arrested nearly three and a half years later.
According to the prisoner's solicitor, he had tried all possible appeals and a final request to the U.S. Supreme Court was decided against.
The inmate was the third prisoner executed to their death this year in Texas and the 11th in the U.S.
