Texas Attorney General Media Advisory

AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General John Cornyn offers the following information on Daniel Earl Reneau, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2001. On March 20, 1997, Daniel Earl Reneau was sentenced to death for the capital murder of Kris Keeran during a robbery, which occurred in Kerrville, Texas, on Jan. 2, 1996. A summary of the evidence presented at trial follows:

FACTS OF THE CRIME

Over a two to three-week period in December 1995, Daniel Earl Reneau and Jeffrey Wood formulated plans to rob a Kerrville gas station. Both men attempted to recruit two employees of the business to participate in the crime. After the employees refused to help, Reneau and Wood proceeded with the robbery themselves. Wood's girlfriend, Nadia Mireless, testified that Reneau was frustrated over the employees refusal to cooperate.

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on Jan. 2, 1996, while Wood waited outside, Reneau entered the gas station with a gun and pointed it at Kris Keeran, the clerk standing behind the counter. Reneau ordered him to a back room. When he did not move, Reneau fired one shot that struck Keeran between the eyes. Death was almost instantaneous. Without checking on the condition of the victim, Reneau proceeded with the robbery and Wood joined him. Both men removed a safe, a cash box and a videocassette recorder containing the store's surveillance tape.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Reneau was indicted on Jan. 22, 1996 in the 216th Judicial District Court of Kerr County, Texas, for the capital offense of murdering Kris Keeran during the course of committing or attempting to commit robbery, which occurred on or about Jan. 2, 1996. After a change of venue, Reneau was tried before a jury in the 216th Judicial District Court of Gillespie County, following his plea of not guilty. On March 18, 1997, the jury found him guilty of the capital offense.

On March 20, 1997, following a separate punishment hearing, the jury answered the two statutory special issues "yes" and "no," respectively. In accordance with state law, the trial court assessed Reneau's punishment at death. Reneau's conviction and sentence were automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which affirmed in an unpublished opinion on Jan. 27, 1999. Reneau then filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court which was denied on Nov. 8, 1999.

Reneau filed a state application for writ of habeas corpus in the state trial court on Nov. 2, 1998. The state court denied the relief by written order on Sept. 15, 1999. Reneau filed his federal petition for writ of habeas corpus on March 8, 2000. The federal district court denied habeas relief on April 2, 2002. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of relief on Dec. 5, 2001. Thereafter, Reneau filed a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court on April 8, 2002. The Supreme Court denied the petition for writ of certiorari on June 10, 2002.

CRIMINAL HISTORY/PUNISHMENT PHASE EVIDENCE

During the punishment phase of Reneau's trial, Nadia Mireless testified that for a period of time, she shared a home with Reneau, Jeffrey Wood and her sister. She testified that during that time, approximately 10 or 11 firearms were stored at her house. She testified that Reneau had indicated to her that he and Jeffrey Wood obtained the firearms in burglaries that they had committed. Mireless identified two firearms, previously reported missing in burglaries, as firearms stored at her home.

Seventeen-year-old Benny Skinner testified that he took part in the burglary of Medina Children's Home with Reneau, Jeffrey Wood and Aaron Toledo. He testified that they stole rifles from the children's home and that while committing the burglary, Reneau carried an SKS assault rifle. Skinner testified that he also was involved with Reneau and Jeffrey Wood in the burglary of a residence where they stole two 12-gauge shotguns and a .22-caliber automatic. Finally, Skinner testified that on one occasion Reneau stuck an assault rifle in his chest and threatened to kill him if he ever told anyone about the burglaries.

Eighteen-year-old Aaron Toledo testified that he participated in two burglaries with Reneau and had been convicted for both. He also testified that Reneau was armed during the commission of the burglaries and stated that he would shoot anyone who discovered them. He identified State's Exhibit No. 35 as one of the weapons stolen in the burglary of Medina Children's Home. Toledo testified that he also participated in the burglary of a gun store in Harper, Texas, in December 1995 with Reneau, wherein a number of guns were stolen. He stated that Reneau was armed during the commission of that burglary with a .22 and an SKS assault rifle. He identified State's Exhibits 33 and 36 as weapons taken in the Harper gun store burglary. Toledo also testified that Reneau pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone about the burglaries. Finally, Toledo testified that on the night before the robbery and murder in the instant case, Reneau and Wood came to his home, stated that they were going to get a lot of money, and asked him to participate. He did not. He testified that on that evening he saw an AR-15 assault rifle and the .38 from the Harper burglary in the back of the truck Reneau and Wood were driving.

Justin Lemond testified that he was in a jail cell with Reneau after Reneau was arrested for the instant offense. Lemond testified that Reneau told him that he was afraid he might get caught because he lost some scissors from a previous robbery that would connect him to the instant offense and that he might be on videotape. Reneau also bragged to Lemond that he was responsible for the majority of the crimes in the Kerrville area. Lemond testified that he wanted out of the cell block because he was afraid of Reneau and because Reneau was talking about trying to escape, saying that he wasn't afraid to take out a jailer to do it.

Eugene Libscomb, a Kerr County jailer, testified that he overheard Reneau and Wood planning an escape attempt and speculating that in their attempt to escape they would need a car and would have to shoot the driver and the passenger. John Edwin Price, Jr., a shift supervisor at the Kerr County Sheriff's Department testified that he also overheard Reneau and Wood planning an escape in which they discussed killing a police officer during transport and taking his car.

Erin Bailey, a clerk at the Kerr County Mini Mart, testified that on the night of November 30, 1995 she was robbed at gunpoint. Although she could not identify the person who robbed her because he wore a bandana covering his face, she could identify State's Exhibit 37 as the scissors that the person used to cut the phone cord. William Hierholzer, chief investigator for the Kerr County Sheriff's Department testified that Reneau gave a statement in which he confessed to the Mini Mart robbery. Reneau's statement was admitted into evidence. The gun Reneau used in the robbery which was recovered near the scene and referred to in Reneau's statement was also admitted into evidence.

ProDeathPenalty.com

Prosecutors said Reneau hatched the plan that also involved his roommate and culminated with the death of Kriss Keeran, 31, who knew both men. Evidence showed Reneau entered the store before dawn on Jan. 2, 1996, and shot Keeran once in the face with a .22-caliber pistol. Then joined by roommate Jeffrey Wood, they robbed the store of more than $11,000 in cash and checks. Both were arrested within 24 hours. The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to review Reneau's case. Asked on death row last week to identify the shooter, Reneau had a 1-word reply: "Me." According to court records, Wood was waiting outside the store and came in after Keeran was shot, then both fled with the store safe, a cash box and a video recorder containing a security tape showing the robbery and slaying. "As I recall, he was pretty cold, very little emotion shown at any time," said Bruce Curry, the Kerr County district attorney who prosecuted Reneau. "And the method of this particular murder was cold -- just kind of walk up, shoot some guy in the head, walk on by, commit the robbery and leave." Evidence showed the pair had planned the robbery for a couple of weeks and unsuccessfully tried recruiting Keeran and another employee to stage a phony robbery. Reneau and Wood drove to Wood's parents home in Devine, about 65 miles to the south, where they tried to open the safe with a sledge hammer and a blow torch. When Wood's 16-year-old brother, Jonathan, asked them how they got the safe, Wood told him about the holdup and shooting. And when the brother expressed skepticism, Wood showed him the tape. Wood's brother testified he then was ordered to destroy the tape with the blow torch. Witnesses, including a delivery driver, described for police the pair of men seen at the store during the 6 a.m. robbery. They also had gone on a spending spree and an officer who had pulled them over the previous night remembered them, authorities said.

Wood led police to the murder weapon, which Reneau said had been taken by Wood in an earlier burglary. "I ended up giving a confession," Reneau said from death row. He did not testify at his trial. "I don't think it would have made any difference," he said. A jury took 15 minutes before returning with its guilty verdict. Reneau said he thought at the time of the crime only treason or trying to kill the president or something similar would make one eligible for the death penalty. He thought Wood, for example, would end up with only about a five-year sentence. Wood joined him on death row. He does not yet have an execution date. "I don't feel like dying," Reneau said. "I don't want to die. But if it does happen, I accept it. I believe in a Christian God, but I won't really know until I die to find out."

Reneau was born in Jacksonville, Fla., when his father was in the Army. He grew up in Kansas near Fort Riley, quit school in the 12th grade and worked construction jobs in Texas. He said Wood recently wrote him asking that he write a letter exonerating him in the crime. Reneau said he did not respond. Reneau and Wood were tied to several previous burglaries where several guns were taken although Reneau denied any participation. While in jail, authorities learned the 2 were working on a plan to break out by killing a jailer.

Texas Execution Information Center by David Carson.

Daniel Earl Reneau, 27, was executed by lethal injection on 13 June in Huntsville, Texas for the robbery and murder of a gas station clerk.

In January 1996, Reneau, then 21, and Jeffery Wood, 22, went to a gas station/convenience store where they were frequent customers. Reneau walked inside, pulled a .22-caliber pistol on the clerk, Kris Lee Keeran, 31, and ordered him to a back room. When Keeran did not move, Reneau shot him once in the face, killing him instantly. Wood then joined Reneau in the store and they stole a safe, a cash box, and a VCR containing a security tape. The safe and cash box contained approximately $11,350 in cash and checks.

Reneau and Wood drove to Wood's parents' house about 65 miles away, where they tried to open the safe with a sledge hammer and a blow torch. When Wood's 16-year-old brother, Jonathan, asked them about the safe, Wood told him about the holdup and shooting and showed him the tape. Wood also ordered Jonathan to destroy the tape with the blow torch. Based on descriptions of the robbers and their car from witnesses, police tracked down Wood and Reneau and arrested them the next day. They confessed. Wood led police to the murder weapon and they recovered the safe and the charred remains of the security tape.

Reneau's girlfriend, Nadia Mireless, testified at his trial that Reneau and Wood had planned to rob the gas station for two to three weeks and had attempted to enlist the aid of two employees. When the employees refused to help, they decided to proceed with the robbery by themselves.

Reneau did not have any prior felony convictions, but testimony at his trial strongly indicated a criminal past. Mireless and others testified that Reneau and Wood had committed numerous burglaries and stolen numerous firearms. Aaron Toledo, 18, testified that he had been on burglaries with Reneau and Wood in the past and that on the night before Keeran's murder, they came to his home. They told him that they were going to get a lot of money and asked him to participate, but he declined. A convenience store employee testified that she believed Reneau was the person who robbed her at gunpoint about five weeks before Keeran's murder, and Reneau confessed to that robbery. Two employees and one inmate at the Kerr County jail, where Reneau and Wood awaited trial, testified that they overheard Reneau and Wood making plans to escape and discussing that they would probably have to kill someone in the process. While Reneau admitted killing Keeran, he denied all of these other accusations.

A jury convicted Reneau of capital murder in March 1997 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in January 1999. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied. Jeffery Lee Wood was also convicted of capital murder in a separate trial and was also sentenced to death. His conviction and sentence were affirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeals in May 2000. He is presently on death row, with no execution date set.

In a letter to Amnesty International, Reneau wrote that before his trial, he thought the death penalty was only for "treason or trying to kill the President or something of that nature." He admitted robbing the gas station and shooting the clerk, but wrote that he didn't deserve to be put to death. "I'm not close to perfect but when you compare my case and background to the other people who are inmates in general population, it doesn't make a lot of sense."

"I don't feel like dying," Reneau said in a death-row interview. "I don't want to die. But if it does happen, I accept it." He said that Wood recently wrote him to ask him to write him a letter exonerating him of the crime, but he did not respond. At his execution, Reneau made no final statement. As the lethal injection began flowing, he looked at Chaplain Richard Lopez and said, "I thought you were going to speak to me." He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.

Deathrow.at

Execution date set: 06/13/2002

The following is a letter written to Brian Crowther, USA Death Penalty Coordinator for Amnesty International, U.K. The letter was written by Daniel Reneau, who has an execution date set for June 13, 2002.

04.04.02

Dear Brian Crowther,

Hello. I received the message you sent through K. Bandall and I’m just writing to say thanks. I can feel the trend towards abolition growing stronger. I think I heard that the overall support for the death penalty in this country is down to 57%. I’ve always kind of figured though that when something positive does finally happen about it, that it would be just after they killed me. And now I have a date for June 13th, as I’m sure you’re aware of. And unless something positive happens on my behalf then I will probably die on that date or shortly thereafter. My appeal to the Supreme Court will be filed by April 9th and if they were to rule in my favor on the main issue, it would affect many other cases and even though it would be the right thing to do, I would be surprised if they did.

I don’t feel like writing any other letters tonight so I’m gonna ramble on in this one for a minute. When I was out there, I was almost completely ignorant about anything concerning the death penalty and capital crimes/punishment, trials, appeals process, etc. None of it was a part of my life and so I wasn’t concerned about it. I thought a capital crime was just treason or trying to kill the President or something of that nature. Didn’t know there was an appeal process. Just figured that there was a few dudes in line waiting to be killed. I figured that whoever was on Death Row must’ve done something to get there and that they had to be the absolute worse of the worst monsters.

And so I’ve never been against the death penalty. I also knew when I was out there that I would never believe a word said from someone on Death Row (or prison period) simply because I figured they would say anything and whatever it took to get out of their situation or to get anything. When I was 18, I was in a County Jail in Fredericksburg, Texas, for 21 days on a misdemeanor probation revocation. It was a nonviolent misdemeanor and I left the jail everyday on work release.

During this time, Jose Santelon (who is a few cells from me and has a date for April 10th) was in a different part of the jail for this case. Didn’t know or see him then, just knew a person was there for capital murder and I remember thinking about it briefly for a moment and how it just seemed weird and beyond me and how incomprehensible for me it was. Didn’t think anything of it past that brief moment.

Four years later, I was in the same cell he had been in back then and I was going to trial for capital murder and it was even weirder looking back. And than I got here in March of 1997, and it was nothing of hypocrisy and I prefer to keep my own at a minimum so I didn’t all of sudden become against the death penalty just because I received it. As I started to get to know people, it didn’t take long for me to realize that even in my support of the death penalty, that there are people here that don’t belong here. Not saying they shouldn’t be serving somewhere, just saying they shouldn’t be on Death Row. And there were other people that I felt didn’t deserve any appeals and should’ve been hung on the spot back wherever they came from. Felt that way the strongest about child molester/killers.

I’ve always believed in God and Jesus and have always known I needed to give myself to Him and being in here I’ve always known that it was wrong for me to support the death penalty, even for child molesters on the simple premise that, God says, “Thou shall not kill,” and the way I look at it is that He didn’t say that, “Thou shall not kill except for this or that” and that people can believe it however you want. They call it capital punishment, justice or whatever but that doesn’t change the act that it is killing, murder, people knowingly and intentionally (which constitutes capital murder to begin with) taking a life or another human being, breaking God’s commandments. Even so, I continued with my selective support of the death penalty. Chalk it up to my human sinful nature. But as more time has moved on, as I continue to grow up and develop personally and spiritually, as my won life appears to be coming to an end, I’ve given way more and more to what I truly believe is right and know that this just isn’t right.

As for myself, many inmates and guards have asked me why I’m here and I’ve always thought that to be a good question. I in no way attempt to make light of what I’ve done or get out from under any responsibility of it. I’m here for robbing a gas station and shooting once, the clerk that was working there. I’m not saying that I shouldn’t be serving a sentence somewhere. But I think that is a good question, on a lesser level. I have no criminal record/history. Never been arrested for any felonies, thefts or violent crimes. I went to school. I’ve lived on my own since I was 16. I’ve worked and I have 2 children.

I’m not close to being perfect but when you compare my case and background to other people who are inmates in general population, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. There’s many inmates in general population in Texas alone that have committed murder, multiple murder, gotten released, killed again and still aren’t on Death Row. People that have been in trouble all their lives.

There are even capital cases here in Texas where someone was butchered, cut up by someone with extensive criminal histories and they’ve gotten life sentence. One guard will say you must’ve gotten the wrong lawyer or judge and I say both. A guard will say, well we’ve got worse people in population right here in this Unit, and I’m aware of that. A guard will say that there’s guards working here that have done worse than me and I believe that too.

Anyways, I appreciate the efforts of people like yourself and thank you again.

Sincerely, Danny Reneau

Dallas Morning News

"Convenience Store Clerk Killer Executed." (Associated Press June 14, 2002)

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Daniel Reneau, a 27-year-old construction worker, was executed Thursday evening for killing a Kerrville convenience store clerk during a robbery more than six years ago.

Reneau had no final statement. As the drugs began flowing, he looked at Chaplain Richard Lopez and said, "I thought you were going to speak to me." The chaplain said he would. Reneau's eyes then fell partially shut, his cheeks filled with air and he exhaled one last time. He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m., nine minutes after the lethal drugs began to flow. Texas Rangers Sgt. Henry Fleming and Capt. Clete Buckeleu witnessed Reneau's execution on behalf of his victim's family.

Prosecutors said Reneau hatched the plan that also involved his roommate and culminated with the death of Kriss Keeran, 31, who knew both men. Evidence showed Reneau entered the store before dawn on Jan. 2, 1996, and shot Keeran once in the face with a .22-caliber pistol. Then joined by roommate Jeffrey Wood, they robbed the store of more than $11,000 in cash and checks. Both were arrested within 24 hours.

Reneau was the 16th Texas inmate executed this year, one short of the total number of executions in the state for all of last year. With three more lethal injections set for later this month, Texas is on a pace to rival the record 40 executions carried out in 2000. The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to review Reneau's case. Asked on death row last week to identify the shooter, Reneau had a one-word reply: "Me."

According to court records, Wood was waiting outside the store and came in after Keeran was shot, then both fled with the store safe, a cash box and a video recorder containing a security tape showing the robbery and slaying. "As I recall, he was pretty cold, very little emotion shown at any time," said Bruce Curry, the Kerr County district attorney who prosecuted Reneau. "And the method of this particular murder was cold – just kind of walk up, shoot some guy in the head, walk on by, commit the robbery and leave."

Evidence showed the pair had planned the robbery for a couple of weeks and unsuccessfully tried recruiting Keeran and another employee to stage a phony robbery. Reneau and Wood drove to Wood's parents home in Devine, about 65 miles to the south, where they tried to open the safe with a sledge hammer and a blow torch.

When Wood's 16-year-old brother, Jonathan, asked them how they got the safe, Wood told him about the holdup and shooting. And when the brother expressed skepticism, Wood showed him the tape. Wood's brother testified he then was ordered to destroy the tape with the blow torch. Witnesses, including a delivery driver, described for police the pair of men seen at the store during the 6 a.m. robbery. They also had gone on a spending spree and an officer who had pulled them over the previous night remembered them, authorities said.

Wood led police to the murder weapon, which Reneau said had been taken by Wood in an earlier burglary. "I ended up giving a confession," Reneau said from death row. He did not testify at his trial. "I don't think it would have made any difference," he said.

A jury took 15 minutes before returning with its guilty verdict. Reneau said he thought at the time of the crime only treason or trying to kill the president or something similar would make one eligible for the death penalty. He thought Wood, for example, would end up with only about a five-year sentence. Wood joined him on death row. He does not yet have an execution date.

"I don't feel like dying," Reneau said. "I don't want to die. But if it does happen, I accept it. I believe in a Christian God, but I won't really know until I die to find out." Reneau was born in Jacksonville, Fla., when his father was in the Army. He grew up in Kansas near Fort Riley, quit school in the 12th grade and worked construction jobs in Texas. He said Wood recently wrote him asking that he write a letter exonerating him in the crime. Reneau said he did not respond. Reneau and Wood were tied to several previous burglaries where several guns were taken although Reneau denied any participation. While in jail, authorities learned the two were working on a plan to break out by killing a jailer.

Houston Chronicle

"Execution is State's 16th of 2002." (Associated Press June 14, 2002)

HUNTSVILLE -- Daniel Reneau, a 27-year-old former construction worker, was executed Thursday evening for killing a Kerrville convenience store clerk during a robbery more than six years ago.

Reneau had no final statement. As the drugs began flowing, he looked at Chaplain Richard Lopez and said, "I thought you were going to speak to me." The chaplain said he would. Reneau's eyes then partially closed, his cheeks filled with air and he exhaled one last time. He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.

Prosecutors said Reneau hatched a plan that also involved his roommate and culminated with the death of Kriss Keeran, 31, who knew both men. Evidence showed Reneau entered the store before dawn Jan. 2, 1996, and shot Keeran once in the face with a .22-caliber pistol. Then, joined by roommate Jeffrey Wood, he robbed the store of more than $11,000 in cash and checks. Both were arrested within 24 hours.

Reneau was the 16th Texas inmate executed this year, one short of last year's total.