Execution Scheduled for Texas Man Convicted of 1998 Double Murder
A Texas inmate, Charles Victor Thompson, is set to be executed, marking the first execution in the United States this year. Thompson, now 55, was convicted of the 1998 murders of his ex-girlfriend Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new partner Darren Keith Cain, 30, in Tomball, a suburb of Houston.
The lethal injection is scheduled to take place at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. The case has drawn attention due to Thompson’s previous escape from custody and subsequent capture after three days on the run.
Prosecutors detailed that Thompson’s relationship with Hayslip had deteriorated due to his possessive and abusive behavior. On the night of the murders, Thompson confronted Cain at Hayslip’s apartment and was initially asked to leave by police. However, he returned hours later, fatally shooting both victims. Cain died at the scene, while Hayslip succumbed to her injuries a week later in the hospital.
Hayslip’s family has long awaited justice, with prosecutors noting, “The Hayslip and Cain families have waited over twenty-five years for justice to occur.”
Thompson’s defense team has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, arguing the cause of Hayslip’s death was misrepresented. They claim her death resulted from medical malpractice rather than the shooting itself, pointing to a failed intubation that allegedly caused severe brain damage.
Despite these arguments, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied a plea to reduce Thompson’s sentence. His attorneys assert, “If he had been able to raise a reasonable doubt as to the cause of Ms. Hayslip’s death, he would not be guilty of capital murder.” However, a jury previously rejected this claim, attributing her death to Thompson’s actions.
Hayslip’s family had filed a medical negligence lawsuit against one of her doctors, though a jury sided with the doctor in 2002.
Thompson’s case gained further notoriety after he managed to escape from Harris County Jail. He reportedly slipped out of his restraints and walked out wearing an ID badge he fashioned himself. He later reflected on the brief taste of freedom, saying, “I got to smell the trees, feel the wind in my hair, grass under my feet, see the stars at night. It took me straight back to childhood being outside on a summer night.” His escape ended in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was captured while attempting to secure funds to flee to Canada.
Should the execution proceed, Thompson will become the first person executed in the U.S. this year. Texas is known for its high execution rate, though in 2025, Florida surpassed it with 19 executions.
For more coverage, follow Juan A. Lozano at https://x.com/juanlozano70.
