Killer of Assistant Prosecutor Is Executed

By MICHAEL GRACZYK
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 3, 2004; 8:15 PM


HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A repeat felon convicted of slaying a Houston-area prosecutor during a robbery attempt was executed Wednesday.

"Well, Mom, sometimes it works out like this," Marcus Cotton said from the death chamber gurney as his mother, among the witnesses, watched through a window. "When you are dealing with reality, real is not always what you want it to be."

Cotton, 29, was executed by injection at 6:13 p.m.

Cotton had been out of prison less than seven months after serving time for attempted murder when he was arrested for gunning down Gil Epstein, 27, a Fort Bend County assistant prosecutor. Epstein was shot in 1996 while leaving Houston's Jewish Community Center after playing basketball with friends.

Cotton denied he was the gunman who confronted Epstein in the community center parking lot and demanded his wallet. According to testimony at his trial, Cotton shot Epstein after spotting his district attorney badge in the wallet.

A second gunman testified against Cotton in exchange for a 10-year prison term.

Another man robbed outside the center the same night testified he saw Cotton inside Epstein's car, where the prosecutor was found dead in the back seat, shot twice in the head.

The Supreme Court last week refused to review Cotton's case, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected a clemency request.

Cotton was the eighth convicted killer put to death this year in Texas. A ninth was scheduled to be executed Thursday.

It just breaks my heart! I'm... speachless.

Why?

i will keep him and his family in my thoughts and prayers may he rest n peace

I hope he has found peace. Another pointless murder in the state of Texas. We are only in the beginning of March, and there has already been 8 executions. This is disgusting and shameful.
Mr. Cottons family are in my thoughts and prayers. What are we coming to as a human race?

Oh what a sad news again :( I'll keep him in my prayers as his family and loved ones too. I'm speachless, this is so wrong!

thou shalt not kill applies to cotton and the rest of us!!! no one has the right to take another person's life; i am against capital punishment. that's texas' way of dealing with social problems. it just tears my heart in two. i pray for the grieving families that have to endure such pain especially the mother's of these men and women.

Yesterday they executed a guy here, we called him Juice his real name Marcus Cotton. We first met back in 1998 at the Ellis Unit. We were in the same rec group together. As a matter of fact he was in the cell next to mine and as it turns out we went to the same Junior High, but we never recalled running into each other.

He came back from a visit Monday and was sitting at the table in the day room and i heard him saying "no more pain" in a thoughtful way. Sort of like he was saying it to himself. This has been on my mind ever since. I guess it's the emotional torment and the hurt we feel everyday, that pain is the worst.

It must be very difficult to sit on your last visit, with all your family crying and breaking down, knowing whats to come. Knowing that you cannot break down for their sake. If we were to break down crying, it would only make things worse, and their pain so much more intense, because their is nothing they can do to help you. They cannot do anything about the fear in your eyes, that is one thing a mom always notices is the fear in her kids eyes.

How i am going to handle the last visit has been on my mind ever since i heard Marcus Cotton say those words in the day room the other day.

Perhaps Marcus Cotton is better off, rest in peace Marcus

sheesh, this brought tears to my eyes. :(

:ha: Damn that was so sad, and I really don't think that is the answer, but all I can do is pray and hope he rests in peace, now I am so sad :ha: .

Keltria
Thanks for posting that, that was heart wrenching, and something that we dont think about alot.
I hope Marcus Cotton is in no more pain, but at peace.

I hope Marcus finds Eternal Peace which I know he will and this post got my heart... :'(

This was Marcus Cottons last statement, and I pray that he is at peace, and my thoughts are with his family, another set of victims by the state of Texas.

Last Statement: Yes Warden, I do. Well Mom, sometimes it works out like this. Love life; live long. When you are dealing with reality, real is not always what you want it to be. Take care of yourselves. I love you. Tell my kids I love them. God is real. He is fixing to find out some deep things that are real. Bounce back, baby. You know what I'm saying. You all take care of yourselves. That is it.

No words are adequate. There is no greater loss than that of a loved one. There is no greater pain than not being able to stop the inevitable. I wish I lived in a society where the dogma was "hate the sin, not the sinner".

As I sit here and think about my fiance sitting on death row, tears are streaming. Love to all those who take this journey with their loved one.

TK

this is so sad.....

I too wished we lived in a world where we hated the sin, but loved the sinner. this breaks my heart.
"rest in peace Marcus"
my prayers are with this family
sue

May you rest in peace Marcus.

Phil :(

My prayers to you.

There are no words......

to everything there is a season....my brother was right, reality isn't always what it seems to be. thank you for your prayers...it was a horrible time for us all.

i was his visit that day...he meant his and my pain...it was almost over for him but knew it would go on for me....i'm the one he told to bounce back in his last words. We were all each other had...he looked so peaceful, he found his peace. thank you all for your prayers....that was such a horrible time for us all.

lil sis rose, I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are going through right now. You and Marcus are in my thoughts.

(((hugs))) lil sis rose

We're with you, sis rose....may Marcus Cotton know peace and rest.

lil sis rose, I am so very sorry. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers!!