Texas Death Row Inmate Who Cut out His Eyes Seeks Clemency
HOUSTON—Plagued by mental illness, Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas started hearing voices when he was 9 years old and first attempted suicide when he was 10, his attorneys say.
Thomas’ psychosis, filled with religious delusions and hallucinations, became worse as he grew older. His family—beset by a long history of mental illness, addiction, and poverty—was unable to help.
His lawyers say in March 2004, when he was 21, Thomas’ mental illness erupted in a burst of horrific violence in his hometown of Sherman, Texas. He fatally stabbed his estranged wife Laura Christine Boren, 20, their 4-year-old son Andre Lee and her 13-month-old daughter Leyha Marie Hughes, cutting out the hearts of the two children. He later told police God had instructed him to commit the killings and that he believed all three were demons….