HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Moises Sandoval Mendoza, 41, was executed by lethal injection Wednesday evening for the brutal 2004 murder of 20-year-old Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, bringing to a close a two-decade-long legal process that stirred both public outrage and sorrow.
Mendoza was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m. at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. His final words included an apology to Tolleson’s family and a message of peace to his own loved ones.
“I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused,” he said, expressing remorse in his final moments. “To my family, I love you. I’m at peace.”
Mendoza was convicted of abducting Tolleson from her home in Farmersville, Texas, on March 18, 2004. He sexually assaulted her before strangling and fatally stabbing her. He then attempted to burn her body in a wooded area in a failed effort to cover up the crime. Her 6-month-old daughter was found unharmed at the scene of the abduction.
The crime shocked the community and devastated Tolleson’s family. Her mother, Pam O’Neil, was present for the execution and described the day as a long-awaited step toward justice.
“There’s no closure for losing a child like this,” O’Neil said. “But knowing he can’t hurt anyone else brings a measure of peace.”
Mendoza’s execution followed failed last-minute appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court and a denied clemency request by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. His lawyers argued he had received ineffective legal representation during his trial, but courts ultimately upheld the conviction and sentence.
This marks the third execution carried out in Texas this year, and the 13th in the United States in 2025. Texas remains the most active death penalty state in the country.
The case once again raises questions about capital punishment, justice, and rehabilitation—topics that continue to divide lawmakers and communities alike. But for Tolleson’s family, Wednesday brought a sense of finality after 21 years of grief.
“She was a loving mother, daughter, and friend,” said O’Neil. “Her memory deserves to be honored, and today we remember her—not just how she died, but how she lived.”