On July 3, 1995, Jose Morales, a 39-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically murdered in northwest Dallas, Texas. At approximately 1:30 a.m., Morales was using a pay phone when he was approached by Juan Rodriguez Chavez and an accomplice, Hector Fernandez. Chavez confronted Morales, demanded his wallet, and, upon receiving it, shot Morales in the chest. A witness reported that Chavez then retrieved the wallet from Morales' pants and shot him again before fleeing the scene. The wallet contained only $2.
This incident was part of a violent crime spree committed by Chavez and Fernandez during that period. On March 22, 1995, Chavez fatally shot Jose Castillo to steal his car keys. On May 20, 1995, Chavez killed Juan Pablo Hernandez and stole his car. On July 4, 1995, Chavez shot and killed three men—Antonio Banda, Michael Duran, and Antonio Rios—after two of them obstructed the entrance to a tire shop from which Chavez, Fernandez, and a third accomplice planned to steal a car.
Chavez, labeled an "equal opportunity assassin" by authorities, was arrested on August 3, 1995, when he reported to his parole officer. He had been released from prison the previous year after serving less than half of a 15-year term for killing a neighbor during a burglary. Chavez, a ninth-grade dropout, was 17 at the time of that slaying. At his trial for the Morales murder, he wore an electronic stun belt that inadvertently activated during the first day of testimony. Jolted by the voltage, he stood up, saying: "It's shocking me," then slumped to the defense table. He was uninjured, but his attorneys asked for a mistrial, contending his constitutional presumption of innocence was violated. The request was denied, then became an issue in unsuccessful appeals.
Chavez was convicted of capital murder for the death of Jose Morales and was sentenced to death on March 27, 1996. He was executed by lethal injection on April 22, 2003. In his final statement, Chavez expressed remorse for his actions and apologized to the victims' families. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m.
