Manns executed by state Posted On: Friday, Nov. 14 2008 05:32 AM By Justin Cox
Killeen Daily Herald

Denard Manns drew his last breath shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday, becoming the 17th person executed in Texas in 2008.

The execution came less than a week shy of the 10th anniversary of the crime that put him on death row.

More than 800 miles north off Interstate 35, rain began to pour down on the Iowa gravesite of Manns' victim, Army medic Michele Christine Robson.

"Maybe I'm reading too much into it," said Robson's childhood friend, Tina Rorabaugh, minutes after the execution. "It started raining really hard," moments before she was told the execution had been carried out.

Rorabaugh had known Robson since the third grade and grew up less than two blocks away. Robson was a bridesmaid in Rorabaugh's wedding 14 years ago named her first daughter Gracie Michele, after her fallen friend.

It's been a difficult 10 years, she said, constantly waiting. But now it's done.

"I feel better. I'm glad it's over," Rorabaugh said. "Hate consumes you. Even though I didn't know the man, I had a hate for him that was pretty deep. Now I just pray for the family so they can move on. It's been a long 10 years."

Manns, 42, uttered what appeared to be a brief prayer three times and was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m., 10 minutes after the lethal drugs began to flow.

"From Allah he came and from Allah he shall return," Manns said from the death chamber gurney.

He criticized by name his trial attorneys for what he said was an unfair trial, criticized an appeals lawyer for "purposely bringing up claims that did not exist," and thanked another lawyer for taking on his appeal after he was supposed to be off the case.

Manns expressed love to friends and then said, "I'm ready for the transition."

Manns was a recent parolee from New York, where he had been imprisoned a second time for armed robbery.

Evidence showed he was living with relatives two doors down from the victim's apartment. There was no sign of forced entry, leading authorities to believe she knew her attacker.

Manns' fingerprint was found on the .22-caliber pistol identified as the murder weapon. His DNA was detected on clothing on her body, and at the time of his arrest, he was in possession of her jacket and was carrying her jewelry.

Court files show he told a fellow inmate details of the crime that only the killer would have known because they had not been made public.

Contact Justin Cox at jcox@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7568.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.