Texas man who long claimed innocence is executed for the slayings of 2, including cousin

By JUAN A. LOZANO and MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas inmate who long claimed his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence has been executed for the slayings of two people, including his cousin. Ivan Cantu received a lethal injection Wednesday evening at the Texas state penitentiary in Huntsville. The 50-year-old was put to death for the November 2000 shooting deaths of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosqueda’s girlfriend, Amy Kitchen. Prosecutors said Mosqueda dealt illegal drugs and that Cantu killed his cousin and Kitchen as he tried to steal drugs and cash from his cousin’s north Dallas home. Cantu had long claimed a rival drug dealer killed the two and said in his last words that he was innocent.