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Central Texas Man’s Death Sentence Upheld Despite Bible In Jury Room
A federal appeals court has upheld the death sentence of a Central Texas man convicted in a deadly home break-in, despite claims that a Bible in the jury room prejudiced jurors.
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10 Comments 
(August 15, 2008)—The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the death sentence of a Waco man convicted nearly a decade ago in a deadly home break-in despite claims that a Bible in the jury room prejudiced jurors.
A jury in Nacogdoches County sentenced Khristian Oliver, 30, to die in 1999 for the murder of Joe Collins, 64, who was pistol-whipped and shot to death after surprising Oliver and three accomplices during a burglary in 1998.
They were later arrested at a motel in Waco.
Oliver's three accomplices, Sonya Fawn Reed, Benardo Rubalcana and Lonnie Rubalcana, received prison terms ranging from five to 99 years, but Oliver got the death penalty.
In his appeals, Oliver’s lawyers contend that jurors improperly consulted Scripture that called for death as punishment for murder.
The appeals court says it saw insufficient evidence to overturn decisions from Oliver's trial court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that upheld the jury verdict.
No execution date has been set.
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Latest Comments
The only thing we should be spending money on is the $86.08 that it cost for the drugs for lethal execution.
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He got what he deserved and should have been long executed. Bible in the Jury Room? Are you kidding. God has nothing to do with this and needs to be kept separate. Let's not start that. We may send more and more rapists, killers etc free because 'God will forgive them'. Whatever....
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I was a juror on the Billy Wayne Coble Capital Murder Trial in 1990. We found him guilty then and sentenced him to death. He was a cold blooded murderer then and he still is today. I can assure everyone we did the right thing. The evidence showed that he knew exactly what he was doing at the time he committed these murders.I believe One appeal per person is all that should be allowed. I am very disturbed by the Punishment Retrial of this animal. If there is any other outcome to this, it will be a travesty of justice. None of us should have to worry about him being set free. Or pay one red cent of our tax money to keep him alive. He is a very dangerous individual. Our tax money would have been better spent cleaning gum off the streets, rather than keeping him alive!!! He is an evil man, and should have been put to sleep long ago. Shame on you New Orleans Court of Appeals.Shame on you! One Appeal Only, he doesn't even deserve that. A Bible in the Jury Room? That is a great idea!!!!
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