Texas executes Illinois man for 1986 murder

      HUNTSVILLE, Texas, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Texas put an Illinois man to death by lethal injection on Wednesday for killing a Houston-area man and robbing his apartment in 1986.

      Peter Miniel, 42, was condemned for killing Paul Manier, 20, with an accomplice on May 9, 1986 in Manier's apartment and stealing $20 and a  stereo.

      Miniel and James Russell beat Manier with a beer mug and an automobile  shock absorber, stabbed him 39 times with a knife and suffocated him with a  blanket.

      Miniel pleaded not guilty at his 1988 trial, while Russell pleaded guilty and testified against him in exchange for a 50-year sentence. The jury convicted Miniel of murder after five minutes' deliberation.

      Miniel has told Texas newspapers in recent weeks that he lied at his  trial and is guilty of Manier's murder.

      In a final statement while strapped to a gurney in the death chamber,  Miniel prayed.

      "Into your hands, oh Lord, I commence my spirit. Amen," he said.

      Miniel was the 15th person executed in Texas this year and the 328th  since the state resumed capital punishment in 1982, six years after the U.S.

  Supreme Court lifted a national death penalty ban. Both totals lead the  nation.

      For his final meal, Miniel requested 20 beef tacos, 20 beef enchiladas,  two double cheeseburgers, a pizza with jalapenos, fried chicken, spaghetti  with salt, half of a chocolate cake and half of a vanilla cake, cookies and  cream ice cream, carmel pecan fudge ice cream, a small fruit cake, two  Coca-Colas, two Pepsi-Colas, two root beers and two orange juices.

      Texas has nine more executions scheduled for this year. The next  execution is planned for Oct. 12.

      Houston area lawmakers and the city's police chief have called for a  moratorium on executions of Houston-area convicts until an examination of  hundreds of boxes of evidence recently recovered in a Houston police  warehouse is completed.

      Gov. Rick Perry on Monday rejected the request for a moratorium on  executions saying existing individual reviews of death penalty cases offer  adequate safeguards for condemned prisoners.

  Texas (AP) _ A death row inmate who had welcomed the death penalty and asked his attorney to file no more appeals was executed for beating and stabbing a  man to death in 1986.

   Peter Miniel, 42, on Wednesday became the 15th Texas prisoner executed this

  year, and the second in as many days.

   <Into your hands, oh Lord, I commend my spirit. Amen. I'm ready,> Miniel

  said. As the lethal injection took effect, Miniel said he felt a burning

  sensation. He was declared dead about 10 minutes later.

   Miniel only recently disclosed he was lying when he pleaded innocent to

  killing 20-year-old Paul Manier, who was beaten with a car shock absorber

  and a beer mug and stabbed repeatedly with a knife. 

   <I want to tell the truth,> he told The Associated Press last month. <I am  guilty. I was wrong.>  Anthony Manier was 12 when his brother was killed and  was a witness at Wednesday's execution. <This took 18/ years,> he said. <I  know it's a bad thing to say. I'm glad it's over. It just really upsets me  it takes so long.>  Miniel had convictions for theft, disorderly conduct and  unlawful use of weapons. At the time of the slaying, Miniel was on probation  for aggravated battery. Illinois authorities were in the process of revoking  the probation after Miniel was accused of beating his girlfriend.

   Three more executions are scheduled this month in Texas, including one next week.