Daniel Reneau Executed

[Joy]

June 13, 2002
Associated Press: Texas Wire




Convenience Store Clerk Killer Executed



Daniel Reneau, a 27-year-old construction worker, was
executed Thursday evening for killing a Kerrville
convenience store clerk during a robbery more than six
years ago.

Reneau had no final statement. As the drugs began
flowing, he looked at Chaplain Richard Lopez and said,
"I thought you were going to speak to me." The
chaplain said he would. Reneau's eyes then fell
partially shut, his cheeks filled with air and he
exhaled one last time.

He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m., nine minutes
after the lethal drugs began to flow.

Texas Rangers Sgt. Henry Fleming and Capt. Clete
Buckeleu witnessed Reneau's execution on behalf of his
victim's family.

Prosecutors said Reneau hatched the plan that also
involved his roommate and culminated with the death of
Kriss Keeran, 31, who knew both men.

Evidence showed Reneau entered the store before dawn
on Jan. 2, 1996, and shot Keeran once in the face with
a .22-caliber pistol. Then joined by roommate Jeffrey
Wood, they robbed the store of more than $11,000 in
cash and checks. Both were arrested within 24 hours.

Reneau was the 16th Texas inmate executed this year,
one short of the total number of executions in the
state for all of last year. With three more lethal
injections set for later this month, Texas is on a
pace to rival the record 40 executions carried out in
2000.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to review
Reneau's case.

Asked on death row last week to identify the shooter,
Reneau had a one-word reply: "Me."

According to court records, Wood was waiting outside
the store and came in after Keeran was shot, then both
fled with the store safe, a cash box and a video
recorder containing a security tape showing the
robbery and slaying.

"As I recall, he was pretty cold, very little emotion
shown at any time," said Bruce Curry, the Kerr County
district attorney who prosecuted Reneau. "And the
method of this particular murder was cold -- just kind
of walk up, shoot some guy in the head, walk on by,
commit the robbery and leave."

Evidence showed the pair had planned the robbery for a
couple of weeks and unsuccessfully tried recruiting
Keeran and another employee to stage a phony robbery.

Reneau and Wood drove to Wood's parents home in
Devine, about 65 miles to the south, where they tried
to open the safe with a sledge hammer and a blow
torch.

When Wood's 16-year-old brother, Jonathan, asked them
how they got the safe, Wood told him about the holdup
and shooting. And when the brother expressed
skepticism, Wood showed him the tape. Wood's brother
testified he then was ordered to destroy the tape with
the blow torch.

Witnesses, including a delivery driver, described for
police the pair of men seen at the store during the 6
a.m. robbery. They also had gone on a spending spree
and an officer who had pulled them over the previous
night remembered them, authorities said.

Wood led police to the murder weapon, which Reneau
said had been taken by Wood in an earlier burglary.

"I ended up giving a confession," Reneau said from
death row.

He did not testify at his trial.

"I don't think it would have made any difference," he
said.

A jury took 15 minutes before returning with its
guilty verdict.

Reneau said he thought at the time of the crime only
treason or trying to kill the president or something
similar would make one eligible for the death penalty.
He thought Wood, for example, would end up with only
about a five-year sentence.

Wood joined him on death row. He does not yet have an
execution date.

"I don't feel like dying," Reneau said. "I don't want
to die. But if it does happen, I accept it. I believe
in a Christian God, but I won't really know until I
die to find out."

Reneau was born in Jacksonville, Fla., when his father
was in the Army. He grew up in Kansas near Fort Riley,
quit school in the 12th grade and worked construction
jobs in Texas.

He said Wood recently wrote him asking that he write a
letter exonerating him in the crime. Reneau said he
did not respond.

Reneau and Wood were tied to several previous
burglaries where several guns were taken although
Reneau denied any participation. While in jail,
authorities learned the two were working on a plan to
break out by killing a jailer.


By MICHAEL GRACZYK,
Associated Press Writer

[SSK]

it makes me sad to read that TX killed again...

[Amanda_H]

Another one killed in Texas. Will it ever stop.

[Budwoman]

MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP DANIEL'S FAMILY.... I HOPE THEY CAN GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES.

DONNA

[aprilcat]

My thoughts are with Daniel and his family. The rate Texas murders is just unbelieveable *sigh*

[soraya]

who are they competing with? like it's something to be proud on to have murdered the most people

my thought and prayers are with Daniel and his family

[~cheenna~]

Soraya,
there's a lot to be said for your comment in regards to "Texans" and "pride". A true, born and bred, Texan is a different breed indeed. I'm not saying they are ALL proud to top the list of executions. But they do have a "pride" especially, among men, that beats all I've ever seen.

Now please, no hate mail... this is just an honest observation from one who was not born Texan but my Daddy was and all his people (kin folk) and I was married to one and gave birth to one. There is a difference!

Thank God... at least Texas, as well as other states, will not be murdering anymore of the "mentally challenged" as of today thanks to ruling of ATKINS VS VIRGINIA

May God have mercy on his soul.... rest in peace Daniel

[soraya]

Cheena, it always amaze me to hear Texan people talk about the death penalty. I once even heard an older man (I gues he was 60 or something) say they should bring back the ... now I forgot the word....of yeah, lynch parties and just hunt down a suspect and hang him from the hightest tree,no need for a trial!! Some people tell me Texas is like a hole different country. I know there are a lot of good people in Texas too, just look at the people here You always need exeptions to confirm a regular thing

[SSK]

you know back in history they had fake executions in texas. they brought someone to the gallow, rope around the neck and the whole 'theater' around it. but at the final moment they said: look this cán happen, dont do crime, let this be a lesson (to the spectators). And the offender was brought back to jail for life in prison. they said that was more a punishment then dead itself. when i was young i always thought it still went like that. that they brought them to the deatchchamber en said: this is were you will end up, now go go go and i dont wanna see you here anymore! and they opened a secret backdoor to let him go....i like to believe it is like that...dream on tamara...dream on....

[soraya]

Tamara, that's a beautiful dream! Sometimes I wish we just could still live in these dreams like we were a child.

[Sandy]

Soraya ..Texas is like a whole different country...and I used to be proud to say I once lived there, but I'm not so sure about that anymore!

[Lucrisid]

>>>Reneau said he thought at the time of the crime only
treason or trying to kill the president or something
similar would make one eligible for the death penalty.
He thought Wood, for example, would end up with only
about a five-year sentence.<<<<

I hope Daniel is in a better place now - LIKE HIS VICTIM.

SORRY, but if someone goes and shoots a person right in the face, because "he's not the president", so this is less of a brutal murder...-
I feel sorry for Daniel's family, the victim and his family.
As for Daniel... sorry he had to face and fear death for years- but there are more words lost for his death than for his victim. Who protests their deaths? I surely am not pro - DP, but much less am I pro slapping victims survivors in the face by making their loved ones murderer look like a victim.

But ok- Daniel looks like a lamb compared to others that have been executed. Like serial killers who have seen to it that they first tortured before they finally ended their victims suffering.

Sorry to be such an ass about it, but this is just my opinion and it really shouldn't matter. I read through the posts and had to say what I said before I choke on it. No hard feelings, please!

Tanya

[toe]

Well... I can totally see why you feel like you do, and don't worry about speaking your mind in front of me. Glad you did, everyone should share their feelings.

If I make a crank call to your house and unload a few threats, you phone the cops on me... what happens? diddly.

If I make a crank call to the white house and unload a few threats, George W calls the cops on me... what happens?
I end up with the 50 Secret Service Guys and 2 swat teams on my front lawn for a start, never mind the next few months I'm gonna spend 'cooling off' while they pry into every corner of my life. So yeah, I can see what Reneau was 'trying' to say....though there are probably better analogy's.

Any murder is brutal, doesn't matter who the victim is... but it seems society can glue a value on it pretty easily. A homeless person found with their throat cut in an alley.... yeah, you see 24hr a day coverage of that on CNN.... but if the victim is a child, or someone respected within his/her community, or well known? Alert the press!!!

And if it's state sanctioned killing?
Well... I don't hear Larry King discussing them everytime one is carried out.
...just something to think about.



all the best

[Caroline]

Toe:I safely assume you are not a MVS. The press are not always concerned with child deaths, it all depends on what the feeling of the nation is at that moment. Believe me Toe inmates exections are usually mentioned in the press and people debating both sides, people attending the executions to protest and agree alike. Its certainly more than what a victim gets.
I am sorry for people who have suffered murder personally it is VERY IMPORTANT to them.
Thanks Lucris your feelings seem close to mine, I feel sorry for the inmates and victims family, but the murderer is not usually anything like the victim and I find it an insult to MVS to say they are. Most victims did not choose death, are innocent, and they never got a chance to make a final statement or tell their loved ones how they feel or say goodbye, had no time to prepare get everything in order. These murderers killed the victims didnt I think that makes a BIG difference to who the victim is.
Take Care
Caroline

[Rosebud]

God Bless them all.