News & Issues

Dominique Jerome Green #53

2004 Executions - Dominique Jerome Green:

#53 murderer executed in U.S. in 2004.
Executed 10/26/2004 in Texas by Lethal Injection.

Summary of the Murder: Green was sentenced to die for the capital murder of Andrew Lastrapes in Houston on October 14, 1992.

Statistical Data:

Murderer - Dominique Jerome Green

Date of Birth - 5/13/1974
Race - Black
Sex - Male
Age when crime committed - 18
Age when executed - 30
Date of Sentence - 7/14/1993

Victim - Andrew Lastrapes Jr.

Date of Murder - 10/14/1992
Race - Black
Sex - Male
Age when murdered - 41
Method of Murder - Handgun
Relationship to Murderer - None

Details of the Crime:

Dominique Jerome Green and three other men took part in a series of robberies in the Houston area over a period of several hours, starting on October 13, 1992, and continuing into the early morning hours of the following day.

After 6 a.m. October 14, the men ended up at a convenience store. While two of the men waited in a car around the corner, Green and the fourth man approached Andrew Lastrapes in the store parking lot and demanded his money. When Lastapes refused, Green shot him with a Tech-9 semi-automatic gun, then took $50 from the victim’s wallet.

Testimony in the Case:

Following the fatal shooting, Green and his three companions split the proceeds of their robberies and went home agreeing not to talk about what had happened.

Three days later, a Houston police officer spotted a stolen red car traveling southbound on Highway 288. The officer pursued the vehicle until it swerved off the road into a ditch in Brazoria County. The driver of the car, later identified as Green, continued to run on foot, but was eventually found hiding in a nearby field. A later search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Tech 9 semi-automatic gun that firearms experts determined to be the same gun that was used to killed Andrew Lastrapes.

Prior Criminal History:

January 6, 1990 Green was convicted of unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana and was sentenced to placement in the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department.

February 11, 1991 Green was convicted of burglary of a motor vehicle and burglary of a habitation and had his probation revoked.

January 21, 1992 Green was convicted of possession of a firearm and sentenced to ninety days in jail.

Procedural History:

September 11, 1996 - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Green’s conviction and sentence on direct appeal.
November 13, 1996 - The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Green’s petition for rehearing.
April 28, 1997 - The U.S. Supreme Court denied Green’s petition for writ of certiorari to review the Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision on direct appeal.
August 29, 1997 - Green filed an application for writ of habeas corpus in the state trial court.
May 31, 2000 - The Court of Criminal Appeals denied Green’s application for writ of habeas corpus.
January 8, 2001- Green filed a federal petition for writ of habeas corpus in a Houston U.S. district court.
February 28, 2002 - The U.S. district court dismissed Green’s federal habeas petition and denied a certificate of appealibility.
June 9, 2003 - Green requested permission to appeal from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
October 21, 2003 The 5th Circuit Court denied Green’s request to appeal the U.S. district court’s denial of his federal habeas petition.
February 19, 2004 Green petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari.
October 4, 2004 The Supreme Court denied Green’s request for certiorari review.

The Execution: Green was executed despite the attempts to save him by relatives of the murder victim.

Last Meal:None

Final Words:(truncated) Yes. Man, there is a lot of people there...There was a lot of people that got me to this point, and I can't thank them all. But thank you for your love and support; they have allowed me to do a lot more than I could have on my own... Thanks for allowing me to touch so many hearts. I never knew I could do it, but you made it possible. I am just sorry. And I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be. But I guess it only hurts for a little while. You all are my family. Please keep my memory alive.

He was pronounced dead at 7:59 p.m.