Media Advisory: Donald Loren Aldrich Scheduled For Execution
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information
about Donald Loren Aldrich, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004. On August 4, 1994, a Texas jury found Aldrich
guilty of capital murder in the gay-bashing death of 23-year-old Nicholas
West after abducting him from a Tyler park..
FACTS OF THE CRIME
On the evening of November 30, 1993, Aldrich and two of his friends
robbed Nicholas West of his money and pickup truck at gunpoint in
Bergfield Park, a place frequented by homosexuals. The trio then forced
West into their car and drove to a remove area of Smith County. There,
they forced West to walk up a hill and shot him at least nine times,
using two .357 handguns. At least three of the shots were fired by
Aldrich, who confessed when police arrested him days later on unrelated
robbery charges.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On December 16, 1993, a Smith County grand jury indicted Aldrich for the
capital murder of Nicolas West. Venue was moved from Smith County to Kerr
County. A district court jury found Aldrich guilty of capital murder on
August 4, 1994, and the trial court later sentenced Aldrich to death.
On June 26, 1994, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Aldrich's
conviction and death sentence.
On May 18, 1998, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Aldrich's
application for state habeas relief, and a U.S. district court denied
federal habeas relief on February 24, 2003. On December 1, 2003, the 5th
Circuit Court of Appeals denied Aldrich's request for a certificate of
appealability. On June 7, 2004, the Supreme Court denied Aldrich's
petition for certiorari review of the 5th Circuit ruling.
On September 7, 2004, a Smith County court set Aldrich's execution for
October 12, 2003.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
Aldrich has prior convictions for burglary and robbery. Nine days before
murdering West, Aldrich and four of his friends attacked and robbed a man
whom they believed was homosexual. Aldrich fired a rifle at the man
several times in an attempt to kill him, but the man escaped. Three days
before murdering West, Aldrich and a cohort robbed another man whom
Aldrich believed to be homosexual. Aldrich held a gun to the victim's
head, forced him to his knees, and asked him about his private life. The
man was let go only after he explained that he had an elderly mother to
support.
MISCELLANEOUS
For additional information and statistics, please log on the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice website, www.tdcj.state.tx.us.
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=585
