Death row inmate executed in Texas

Cedric Ricks, 51, was executed by lethal injection at a state prison in Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday. Ricks was convicted of the 2013 murders of his 30-year-old former girlfriend, Roxanne Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. Another son, 12-year-old Marcus Figueroa, survived the attack despite sustaining approximately 20 to 25 stab wounds by pretending to be dead, later testifying at the trial. This event marks the second execution in Texas and the sixth in the United States for the year 2026. Data shows that 47 executions were carried out in the U.S. in 2025, which is more than double the annual average of the previous decade and the highest figure since 2009. While lethal injection remains the primary method, five executions in 2025 involved nitrogen hypoxia. The six executions conducted thus far in 2026 have all utilized lethal injection.