Ruben Gutierrez was sentenced to death by the State of Texas for the murder of an elderly woman during a robbery. According to court documents Ruben Gutierrez and two accomplices would break into the home of an 85 year old woman who would be beaten to death during the course of the robbery. Ruben Gutierrez was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Ruben Gutierrez 2022 Information
SID Number: 05372561
TDCJ Number: 00999308
Name: GUTIERREZ,RUBEN
Race: H
Gender: M
Age: 44
Maximum Sentence Date: DEATH ROW
Current Facility: POLUNSKY
Projected Release Date: DEATH ROW
Parole Eligibility Date: DEATH ROW
Inmate Visitation Eligible: YES
Ruben Gutierrez More News
At the request of Cameron County prosecutors, a Texas trial court has vacated the death warrant that had scheduled the execution of Ruben Gutierrez (pictured) for October 27, 2021.
In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed Gutierrez’s execution after Texas refused to allow his spiritual advisor to accompany him in the execution chamber and directed the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where Gutierrez had filed a civil rights suit alleging religious discrimination, to conduct an evidentiary hearing to determine whether permitting a spiritual adviser of the prisoner’s choice in the execution chamber would pose security concerns. Texas subsequently changed its execution protocol to allow the spiritual advisor into the execution chamber. However, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice interpreted the protocol as prohibiting the advisor from praying out loud with the prisoner, administering last rites, or touching the prisoner in any way. Texas issued a new death warrant against Gutierrez and he again challenged that policy.
On September 8, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the execution of Texas death-row prisoner John Ramirez to consider whether the Texas policy violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act — the exact issues that Gutierrez has raised. The Cameron County District Attorney’s office asked the trial court to vacate Gutierrez’s warrant pending the outcome of Ramirez’s case.
