BELL COUNTY, Texas — A man convicted of killing two people in Bell County is set to be executed on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Richard Lee Tabler was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2007 for the 2004 killing of Haitham Zayed and Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni, according to court documents.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Tabler and codefendant Timothy Doan Payne drove up next to a vehicle on Nov. 26, 2004 before Tabler shot and killed Zayed and Rahmouni. Reports suggest Tabler had Payne videotape the last shot, according to TDCJ.
An affidavit for arrest from 2004 states that a peace officer reviewed a statement from Tabler confirming that he shot and killed the two men, and that Payne videotaped the incident. Tabler reportedly said in the statement that he and Payne then checked the bodies to look for money and other valuable items.
A statement from Payne confirmed the shooting and the details about videotaping the incident and checking the bodies for money, according to the affidavit.
A 2014 court document from the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit states that during the penalty phase of Tabler’s trial, prosecutors presented a confession from Tabler that he also murdered two women for spreading the word of the previous murders. Tabler reportedly confessed to luring the women to a lake and shooting them multiple times with the same gun used to kill Rahmouni and Zayed, according to the appeals document.
The jury also reportedly heard testimony that Tabler had “a history of threatening law enforcement officers and fellow inmates”.
Court documents say Tabler’s counsel presented evidence at trial to argue that he was “not normal” and didn’t deserve the death penalty, calling witnesses to testify about Tabler’s “difficult childhood”, potential birth trauma and history of psychiatric treatment, as well as an “abnormality of the left temporal frontal region of Tabler’s brain” that a clinical neurophysiologist said could cause difficulty learning, planning and weighing consequences of actions.
A psychiatrist also reportedly took the stand and said Tabler suffered from a “severe case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, borderline personality disorder and a history of head injuries, all of which inhibited his ability to rationally assess situations and control his impulses.”
Court documents say the jury ruled that Tabler presented a “continuing threat to society” after deliberating for three hours, and decided the evidence did not warrant a life sentence in lieu of a death sentence. Tabler was then sentenced to death by the trial court.
Tabler is set to be executed on Thursday, Feb. 13.
While on death row, Tabler was accused of smuggling a cell phone to make calls. The Office of Inspector General told 6 News’ sister station KHOU that among the calls Tabler made, one was to John Whitmire, Senator of the 15th District at the time. Whitmire is now the mayor of Houston.
Some organizations, such as ActionNetwork.org and the ACLU, have started petitions to stop Tabler’s execution, saying Tabler suffers from “severe mental impairments” and was not provided adequate counsel during the state appeals process after his appointed lawyers allegedly refused to participate.
In February, Texas also executed Steven Lawayne Nelson, a man convicted of killing an Arlington pastor during a robbery at a church. Tabler’s scheduled execution is one of four that is currently on the books in Texas before the end of May.