Texas Man Executed for 2002 Murder Described as 'Serial Killer in Training'
Mario Swain was executed by lethal injection last night in Huntsville, Texas. Swain had been convicted of the 2002 murder of 44-year-old Lola Nixon during a burglary in her own home.
Swain remained quiet throughout the proceedings and did not give a final statement, reports state. The United States Supreme Court refused to review Swain's case for an appeal, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals also denied any other appeal.
Authorities argued that Swain killed Nixon in a rather vicious manner: bludgeoning her with a tire iron, then stabbing her, and finally strangling Nixon to death. He then dumped her body in an abandoned car outside of town. Swain used Nixon's credit cards, giving police more evidence in their case against him.
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A tip from a neighbor is what led police to suspect Swain, and once they began talking with them, he then showed them where Nixon's body was. That led to a mountain of evidence against him, including the bloody tire iron, keys and garage door opener, and blood found on Swain's clothing.
Experts concluded that Swain was compiling a list of women he wanted to rob and attack. Witnesses at the trial stated that Swain had attacked them from behind, force them to inhale a chemical agent, and then hit them over the head with a blunt object.
Prosecutor Lance Larison described Swain as a "serial killer in training," records showed.
"A girlfriend told us he kept a list in notebooks of names and license plates of girls he would follow. I think he was working up to something," Larison added.
Swain's execution was a quiet matter, as no one from Nixon's family, or Swain's, was present. He did not give a final statement and instead closed his eyes and awaited his fate. Swain is the 13th person to be executed in Texas this year.
