James Broadnax, 37, died by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville at 6:47 p.m. on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His execution came just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a> denied a last-minute request by Broadnax\u2019s attorneys to spare his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I prayed to God for your forgiveness,” Broadnax told the victims\u2019 families while making his final statement<\/a>. “Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered. But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I\u2019m innocent, the facts of my case should speak for itself. Period.”<\/p>\n TEXAS JURY RETURNS VERDICT IN 2022 STABBING DEATH OF HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATE: REPORT<\/a><\/p>\n Texas death row inmate James Broadnax is shown in an undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on April 29, 2026. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice\/AP)<\/p>\n Broadnax was convicted and later condemned for the 2008 shooting deaths of Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler outside Butler\u2019s recording studio in suburban Dallas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Prosecutors say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, killed the two men during an armed robbery<\/a> in the studio\u2019s parking lot.<\/p>\n GOT A TIP?<\/a><\/p>\n The main entrance of the building housing the execution chamber at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary is seen in Huntsville, Texas, on Oct. 17, 2024. (Michael Wyke\/AP)<\/p>\n Cummings was subsequently sentenced to life without parole.<\/p>\n Prosecutors revealed Broadnax had previously confessed to the double-killing, telling reporters in interviews from his jail cell that he felt no remorse and, “I pulled the trigger.”<\/p>\n FOLLOW US ON X<\/a><\/p>\n The Huntsville Unit prison is seen in Huntsville, Texas, on Sept. 14, 2024. (Francois Picard\/AFP)<\/p>\n Throughout his trial, officials pointed to rap lyrics penned by Broadnax, in which he referenced robbing, killing and selling drugs \u2013 resulting in an appeal from Broadnax\u2019s defense claiming his constitutional rights<\/a> had been disregarded and prompting support from rappers Travis Scott and Killer Mike.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, Broadnax\u2019s attorneys hinged their final bid to save his life on Cummings recently admitting to being the one who pulled the trigger, while adding that their client\u2019s rights had been violated during his trial after several potential jurors were eliminated on the basis of race.<\/p>\n GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL<\/a><\/p>\n “I\u2019m really gonna tell it like it\u2019s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swan,” Cummings said in a video released from prison created in an effort to halt Broadnax\u2019s execution.<\/p>\n The defense also claimed prosecutors in Broadnax\u2019s trial zeroed in on all seven Black jurors in the case, “utilizing a spreadsheet during jury selection<\/a> that bolded only the names of every Black juror,” according to court documents. One Black juror was eventually reinstated.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Theresa Butler, Matthew Butler\u2019s mother, remained defiant in asking that the execution of her son\u2019s killer go through as planned.\u00a0<\/p>\n “This so-called confession from Cummings is just a stall tactic by Broadnax\u2019s desperate defense team. It’s all a lie,” Theresa Butler wrote in a social media post.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Broadnax was the 10th person to be executed this year in the country and the third in the state of Texas<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Tarrant County District Attorney\u2019s Office and Broadnax\u2019s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/james-broadnax-texas-death-row-fox-news-001.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Main](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/texas-state-penitentiary-huntsville-fox-news-001.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/huntsville-unit-prison-texas-fox-news-001.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n