The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the final appeal of a man on death row for a triple murder in McLennan County.
Back in 1990, Billie Wayne Coble was convicted of capital murder for the deaths of his mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law in 1989.
In August, Coble filed a petition for Writ of Certiorari, asking the U.S Supreme Court to review the judgment of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas.
The petition stated that more reliable evidence was needed to sentence Coble to death.
On Oct. 17, there was a hearing to set the date for Coble's execution. Coble refused to leave his cell. He was not required to appear in court.
The judge set his execution date for Feb. 28, 2019.
J.R. Vicha's father and grandparents were murdered by Coble. He's waited decades for Coble to receive his punishment.
"These things shouldn't take this long," Vicha said. "Hopefully it will happen and then it can finally be over."
After the hearing, McLennan County Criminal District Attorney Abel Reyna released this statement:
“Justice for these families has been a long time coming. I’m glad that with today’s hearing we are one step closer to fulfilling the jury’s verdict.”
The McLennan County Sheriff's Office will now issue a death warrant to Coble as he awaits his execution in Huntsville.
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