Lorenzo Morris #54

2004 Executions - Lorenzo Morris: 54# murderer executed in U.S. in 2004.
Executed 11/2/2004 in Texas by Lethal Injection.

Summary of the Murder: Lorenzo Morris was sentenced to die for the 1990 capital murder of 70-year-old Jesse Fields in Houston, Texas.

Statistical Data:

Murderer - Lorenzo Morris

• Date of Birth - 9/25/1952
  
• Race - Black
  
• Sex - Male
  
• Age when crime committed - 37
  
• Age when executed - 52
  
• Date of Sentence - 3/23/1992

Victim - Jesse Fields

• Date of Murder - 8/5/1990
  
• Race - Black
  
• Sex - Male
  
• Age when murdered - 71
  
• Method of Murder - Bludgeon with Hammer
  
• Relationship to Murderer - None

Details of the Crime: Lorenzo Morris attacked 70-year-old Jesse Fields on August 5, 1990, cutting his throat and bludgeoning him in the head with a hammer at the victim’s Houston home.

Testimony in the Case: According to Judy Courtney, Morris’ girlfriend at the time, she and Morris were in Field’s home when she saw Morris sitting on top of Fields holding a knife in one hand and beating him with the other. Courtney heard Morris tell Fields that he was going to kill him and then asked Fields where he kept his money. Courtney testified that she did not call the police because she was afraid of what Morris might do if she reported what she had seen.

Morris is Charged with Capital Murder: From the attack by Morris, Fields suffered severe head injuries and irreparable brain damage. He remained in a vegetative state in a hospital and developed pneumonia and gangrene requiring amputation of a leg. Fields died on May 11, 1991, a day after the amputation. Doctors attributed Fields’ death to the head injuries, with pneumonia and the amputation listed as contributing factors.

Morris Gives the Police a Statement: After Fields’ death, Morris, who had originally been charged with aggravated robbery, was charged with capital murder. In a written statement given to police, Morris claimed that he went to Fields’ house to buy drugs and that a fight broke out after Fields refused to give him free “dope.” Morris stated that after he struck Fields in the face, Fields pulled out a knife and tried to stab him.

Morris then claimed that he grabbed the knife away from Fields and stabbed him in the neck. Fields then ran and got a hammer, which Morris also wrestled away from him. Finally, Morris claims that he hit Fields twice with the hammer, and then ran out.

Prior Criminal History: Morris’ prior criminal history includes his convictions for (1) 1972 aggravated assault of a police officer (2) 1976 aggravated robbery (3) 1982 robbery (4) 1991 aggravated robbery for which he is serving a concurrent life sentence.

Procedural History:

• December 7, 1994 -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Morris’ conviction and sentence on direct appeal.
  
• May 15, 1995 -- The U.S. Supreme Court denied Morris’ petition for writ of certiorari to review the Court of Criminal Appeals decision on direct appeal.
  
• October 21, 1996 -- Morris filed an application for writ of habeas corpus in the state trial court.
  
• May 3, 2000 -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Morris’ application for writ of habeas corpus.
  
• February 6, 2002 -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed a successive state habeas application filed by Morris.
  
• February 8, 2002 -- Morris filed a federal petition for writ of habeas corpus in a Houston U.S. district court.
  
• March 24, 2003 -- The federal district court dismissed Morris’ federal habeas petition and denied a certificate of appealibility.
  
• June 2, 2003 -- Morris requested permission to appeal from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  
• January 6, 2004 -- The 5th Circuit denied Morris’ request to appeal the district court’s denial of his federal habeas petition.
  
• April 5, 2004 -- Morris petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari.
  
• October 4, 2004 -- Morris’ petition for writ of certiorari was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Execution:Two of victim Jesse Fields' granddaughters and his daughter were present during the execution. Morris' family were not present althought they visited with him earlier in the day.

Last Meal: Fried chicken and fish with bread and hot peppers, pie, ice cream, and soda. He asked for cigarettes but did not receive them because the prison is tobacco-free.

Final Words: He had none.

After the lethal injection was administered, Morris closed his eyes. He took one last deep breath, sputtered twice, and was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. CST.