The oldest Texas death row inmate has finally gone on to meet his maker.

Carl Wayne Buntion, 78, was put to death on Thursday.

Buntion had been convicted of shooting and killing a Houston, TX, police officer during a traffic stop.

Request Denied

After the June 1990 shooting, Buntion was sentenced to death.

He shot and killed Houston police officer James Irby, a 20-year veteran of the force.

Buntion’s attorneys tried to stop the execution, but the Supreme Court denied his last-minute appeal.

As he was about to be put to death, Buntion stated, “I wanted the Irby family to know one thing: I do have remorse for what I did.

“I pray to God that they get the closure for me killing their father and Ms. Irby’s husband.

“I hope to see you in heaven someday and when you show up I will give you a big hug.”

As the lethal dose was started, Buntion took a deep breath, then coughed.

His breaths became less pronounced, then all movement ended.

Thirteen minutes after the injection was started, Buntion was pronounced dead.

The officer’s widow, Maura Irby, stated, “I feel joy. I’m sorry someone died. But I didn’t think of him as a person.

“I just thought of him as a thing, as a cancer on the face of my family.”

Buntion’s attorneys argued that too much time had passed for the execution to be deemed effective.

They stated, “This delay of three decades undermines the rationale for the death penalty … Whatever deterrent effect there is diminished by delay.”

On that, I agree, but sadly, our justice system allows for decades of appeals before execution is permitted to be carried out.

I believe that if they are convicted beyond a reasonable doubt and sentenced to death, they should be removed from the courtroom and sat right down in the chair.

You want to use the death penalty as a deterrent… that would do it.

Source: New York Post