Killer who murdered a Christian missionary in $8 robbery apologizes as he is executed

A 35-year-old killer was executed in Texas on Tuesday after he was convicted of fatally shooting a recently arrived Mexican immigrant in the head and robbing him of $8 in September of 1998.

Juan Martin Garcia was pronounced dead from a lethal injection at 6.26pm at the state's execution chamber in Huntsville for the killing and robbery of 36-year-old Hugo Solano in Houston.
Solano, a Christian missionary from Guadalajara, had moved his family to the city just weeks earlier so his children could be educated in the United States.

Garcia apologized to Solano's relatives in Spanish ahead of the execution and Solano's wife and daughter sobbed and told the inmate they loved him.

'The harm that I did to your dad and husband - I hope this brings you closure,' he said.
'I never wanted to hurt any of you all.' He told his sister and several friends in English that he loved them. 'No matter what, remember my promise,' Garcia said. 'No matter what, I will always be with you.'

As the dose of phenobarbital began, he winced, raised his head and then shook it. He gurgled and snored once before his movement stopped and was pronounced dead 12 minutes later.