TEXAS LAST MEAL
JAMES PORTER
January 4, 2005

The kitchen is open....

Last Meal: Two extra crispy fried chicken breasts, two thighs, onion rings, french fries, fried okra, five slices of buttered garlic bread, a bowl of country gravy, a couple slices of onions, pickles, jalapeno peppers, ketchup, mustard, sliced tomato, one pot of thick coffee and a banana split.

The skinny: Porter was executed for fatally beating a convicted child molester nearly five years ago while in prison.

More skinny: In 1995, Porter was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 45 years imprisonment. Porter shot a 40 year old male transient two times in the head and dumped his body in a water well. Porter expressed no remorse for this murder and thought he had done society a favor. While imprisoned, in 2000 Porter beat to death fellow inmate in the prison day room. Porter struck the man, who was seated at a table, from behind with a rock sheathed in a pillow case. The man fell to the floor and lay helpless on the ground as Porter continued to bludgeon his face and head with the rock. When the pillow case finally ripped, Porter stabbed him in the head and face with a makeshift knife. Porter then stomped on his head and face with steel-toed work boots. Once the attack was over, Porter surrendered to a correctional officer.

Porter gave a written statement to investigators, confessing to the murder. In his confession, Porter admitted that he had been planning to kill someone for some time, and had decided to use the rock and the knife the week before the murder. Porter later added that the victim was a convicted child molester who had made a pass at him.

The victim was serving a 15-year term for sexually assaulting a child.

Porter ran away from home when he was about 14 and linked up with supremacists who shared his hatred of gays, Norris said. In prison, Porter claimed allegiance to white gangs and acquired extensive tattoos, including letters that spell ``HATE'' on four fingers of his right hand.

Last words and such: Porter, who dropped his appeals and ordered nothing be done to stop the first execution of the year, apologized to the relatives of his victims and expressed love to his family. "I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. I know it is a great loss and I want to apologize. I am sorry. And to my family I love you and I will see you all in heaven."

Factoids: Porter was the...
1st murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
945th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Texas in 2005
337th murderer executed in Texas since 1976