Franklin DeWayne Alix

Franklin DeWayne Alix (August 6, 1975 – March 30, 2010) was an American rapist, robber, kidnapper, and serial killer who committed at least four murders, two attempted murders, nine robberies, two rapes, and four kidnappings during a crime spree in the late 1990s. Most of his crimes occurred at apartment complexes in Houston, Texas. Alix was sentenced to death for one of the murders and executed in 2010.

Early life Alix was born in Harris County, Texas. As a child, he was active at his church; he sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. He later said he was raised in a strict household.

Early crimes In September 1992, Alix tried to steal a bus. He was arrested after a 10-minute chase and received a six-month sentence for theft.

On April 8, 1993, Alix stole a woman's car from her driveway. He was later arrested while driving the car. Alix received a three-year sentence for motor theft and was released from prison in 1996. Alix committed most of his crimes at apartment complexes and kidnapped people by forcing them into car trunks on four occasions.

On August 8, Alix shot and killed 41-year-old Gregorio Ramirez during an attempted robbery in an apartment parking lot. His widow identified him as the shooter. On August 15, Alix pumped gas without paying. When he got stuck in traffic and the store owner confronted him, Alix punched the man in the face.

Arrest, trial, and execution On January 6, 1998, officers in Houston arrested Alix. He confessed to killing Eric on videotape and led police to the weapon. The defense had witnesses testify that Alix was kind when he was younger. One person described him as having been a "typical fun-loving teenager". Alix himself said he committed the crimes under duress, and that a man named Kevin Smith had threatened to kill him if he did not pay a drug debt.

During his trial, Alix had several outbursts. At one point, he was removed from the courtroom. The jury ultimately recommended a death sentence, and Alix was formally sentenced to death on September 2, 1998. In 2006, the crime lab for Houston Police Department was caught in a controversy over complaints of bad police work and mishandled evidence in multiple cases. In Alix's case, his lawyers argued that DNA evidence did not conclusively connect him to Ramirez's murder. However, an appellate court ruled that this would not have changed the jury's decision, pointing to Alix's lengthy history of violence and other evidence.

Alix was interviewed on death row shortly before his execution. Referring to his alleged drug debt, he said he had wanted to do the right things in life, but got caught with a bad crowd. He admitted to killing Eric but claimed his gun went off after Eric charged at him. Alix said he did not want to die. He claimed he was remorseful, but said he would not apologize. Alix admitted to some of the robberies, but denied most of the other crimes, including the rapes and all of the other murders.

Alix was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit on March 30, 2010. He declined a last meal. Alix's last words were, "I am not the monster they made me out to be. I made lots of mistakes that took your son. I messed up, made poor choices. I'll take it to the grave, I will be at peace. It is what it is. I got peace in my heart." He was pronounced dead seven minutes later.

Bridgeford's sister and mother, as well as Thomas's father and sister, witnessed the execution. "Our lives are forever changed but we need to go on," said Bridgeford's mother, Janey. She said she took no pleasure in seeing Alix die and that she forgave him, but understood he might not admit to everything he did. Janey brought a photo of her son to the witness room. "Every photo has been of Alix", she said. "I wanted to put a face to this." Janey said her family had been through a lot of pain and it took two years before she could return to work. Thomas's sister, Fernellifa Jolivette, said she had to forgive Alix to find peace with herself.