Well... Elroy Chester has only 10 more days to play chess with the Texas legal system until he's rendered a checkmate from the U.S. Supreme Court and subsequently enters the death chamber for good.
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Serial killer's life may get spared again - 12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas
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Serial killer's life may get spared again
Posted: Jun 11, 2013 5:43 PM PDT
Updated: Jun 11, 2013 6:19 PM PDT
By Vanessa Holmes, Reporter - bio | email
Port Arthur serial killer Elroy Chester might get another reprieve which could postpone Wednesday's execution.
Chester is a serial killer who in 1998 admitted to committing five murders in Port Arthur. He asked the courts to stop Wednesday's execution and to lessen his sentence to life in prison. The court unanimously denied both requests.
Another hearing will be held Wednesday because Chester's lawyers believe one of the appellate judges showed bias against him.
Chester's original execution date was set for April. However, paperwork issues pushed his execution back to June 12, 2013.
Tuesday, 12News spoke to the brother of Chester's final murder victim, Willie Ryman III.
Barry Ryman and Port Arthur police chief, Mark Blanton, say the scheduled execution is bringing back horrid memories.
"He was just a fun, loving kind of guy. He loved everybody. He never met a stranger. He would help anyone," says Ryman.
Ryman has vivid memories of his brother. But, those cheerful times they shared came to an end on a February night in 1998.
Elroy Chester murdered the off-duty firefighter when Ryman went to check on his two nieces who were inside being sexually assaulted by Chester.
Ryman's nieces gave investigators brief descriptions of the killer. It was enough for police to make an arrest.
But, before that horrible night, police were left scratching their heads wondering who was the unidentified man behind the mask committing multiple murders in the city.
"He had most of the city seized in a grip of fear," says Chief Blanton.
Chief Blanton says Chester's attacks were pre-meditated and that the killer used unique tricks.
"He would cut phone lines and cable lines in case people had cable phones, unscrew light bulbs or squirt water so they would break," says Blanton.
The police chief, who helped in the investigation 15 years ago, said they stepped up patrols, had undercover cops watching the city, officers were on bikes and surveillance video was set up around the city.
Blanton says Chester would go into hiding and when officers would ease up, Chester would strike again.
Both Blanton and Ryman say Chester was unremorseful during his trial.
"He stated in court that if he was given the death penalty, he'd have his home boys kill a Port Arthur policeman," says Blanton.
"He was staring down the girls, the victims, the girls that were there that night," says Ryman.
The police department still houses the complete Chester murder files. Wednesday, it will be forever closed if the execution moves forward.
"This will end. This will be the end of this whole terrible thing that we can put behind us once and for all," says Ryman.
12News spoke to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Wednesday night. A spokesperson says they have not been notified of a possible reprieve and that they are still planning on moving forward with the execution.
12News will have team coverage of the execution from Huntsville. Anchor Kevin Steele will be a witness to the execution.