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Texas death chamber closed temporarily due to coronavirus concerns

Stay granted to offender scheduled for execution Wednesday

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin has issued a 60 day stay of execution to John William Hummel.

Hummel, 44, was scheduled to be executed Wednesday for the 2011 murders of his wife, daughter and daughter-in-law at the family’s suburban Fort Worth home.

The court’s order said in part, “In light of the current health crisis and the enormous resources needed to address execution“ the stay was granted.

Legal scholars like St. Mary’s University School of Law professor Donna Coltharp, said that similar requests from attorneys representing death row inmates are “likely to follow.”

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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About the Authors
Paul Venema headshot

Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role.

Sal Salazar headshot

Sal Salazar is a photojournalist at KSAT 12. Before coming to KSAT in 1998, he worked at the Fox affiliate in San Antonio. Sal started off his career back in 1995 for the ABC Affiliate in Lubbock and has covered many high-profile news events since. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at home, gaming and loves traveling with his wife.

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