HUNTSVILLE, Texas Robert Fratta, 65, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday for the 2004 murder of his estranged wife, Farah Fratta. Farah was found dead in her garage in Atascocita, Texas, having been strangled, stabbed, and burned. Prosecutors argued that Fratta hired two men, Joseph Prystash and Howard Guidry, to carry out the killing.
Fratta maintained his innocence throughout the trial and subsequent appeals. His attorneys argued that the evidence against him was circumstantial and that the prosecution's key witnesses were unreliable. However, a jury convicted Fratta of capital murder in 2009, and he was sentenced to death.
Prystash was also convicted and remains on death row. Guidry was sentenced to life in prison. The case drew widespread media coverage due to the violent nature of the crime and the protracted legal battles that followed. Fratta exhausted his appeals, and the Supreme Court declined to hear his case, paving the way for his execution. The execution was carried out at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. This case reignites the debate surrounding capital punishment and its application in violent crime cases.
Texas Executes Man for 2004 Murder of Young Mother
A Texas man was put to death Wednesday for the 2004 murder of a young mother. Robert Fratta was convicted of hiring two men to kill his estranged wife, Farah Fratta, who was found strangled, stabbed, and burned. The case garnered significant attention due to its brutality and the lengthy appeals process. This execution marks the latest in a series of capital punishments carried out in Texas.