We will explore everyone who was executed in the month of February. We will look into their crimes, their last words, and the last meals they requested before facing their fate.
Marian Bowman, State South Carolina. On February 16th, 2001, 20-year-old Bowman had an argument with 21-year-old Candy Louise Martin over a debt, which escalated into a fight during which he shot her multiple times in a wooded area. He then dragged her body, placed it in the trunk of a car, and set it on fire in a remote location. Hours earlier, he had threatened her, saying, “You’ll be dead before nightfall.” His cousin, James Taiwan Gadson, testified against him, stating that he witnessed the crime and that Bowman had planned it. The evidence was conclusive; the weapon was recovered from a river and linked to the case through ballistic and DNA tests. In 2002, Bowman was sentenced to death. Over the years, he has maintained his innocence, claiming evidence was concealed and that racism played a role in his defense. The day before his execution, Bowman was offered a last meal; he requested fried seafood, wings and chicken strips, onion rings, banana pudding, German chocolate cake, and cranberry pineapple juice. On January 31st, 2025, he was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina. As the execution chamber curtain opened, he briefly looked at his attorney, then at the ceiling before closing his eyes. When asked for his last words, he said, “Death row inmates may be labeled as the worst, but we’ve all changed since that moment that cost us everything. I know Candy’s family suffers and rightfully so, they’re angry. If my death brings them some relief, then I guess it will have served some purpose. I hope they find peace.”
Steven Le Nelson, State Texas. On March 3rd, 2011, at 24 years old, Nelson entered the North Point Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, intending to rob it. Only Reverend Clint Dobson, 28, and secretary Judy Elliott, 69, were present. Nelson, already on parole for a prior assault, brutally attacked the victims. He beat and strangled Dobson with a computer cable before suffocating him with a plastic bag. Elliott sustained severe injuries, including facial fractures and a brain hemorrhage, but survived after a long, long recovery. After the crime, Nelson stole Dobson’s laptop, Elliott’s credit cards, and her car. He used the cards to buy clothes and jewelry and sold the laptop for money. The police quickly identified him through fingerprints and blood stains on his shoes. He was arrested and convicted of capital murder, a crime in Texas punishable by death. Although another man was initially detained, the charges against him were dropped. On February 5th, 2025, Steven Le Nelson was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville State Penitentiary. Since he was executed in Texas, he was not granted a last meal. He was declared dead at 6:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. Just before the injection, Nelson repeatedly told his wife, Helen Noah Dubois, that he loved her and was grateful. Dubois, who was watching from the witness room, raised a white service dog that she was allowed to bring in. “It is what it is,” Nelson said. He then added, “Enjoy life.” Before the lethal dose began, he said, “I’m not afraid. I’m at peace. Let’s ride, Warden.” When the pentobarbital started to take effect, he told his wife, “Let me sleep.” His last word was, “Love,” before gasping twice and trying to catch his breath. His body trembled for a few seconds before becoming still. He was declared dead 24 minutes later.
Demetrius Terren Frasier, State Alabama. On November 27th, 1991, Frasier broke into the apartment of 40-year-old Pauline Starks Brown in Birmingham, Alabama. After forcibly waking her up, he demanded money and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. He then shot her, and despite Brown pleading for her life, Frasier murdered her before stealing the money. Months later, on March 8th, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan, Frasier attempted to assault 14-year-old Crystal Kendrick. He held her captive in an abandoned house, and when she tried to escape, he shot her, ending her life. Frasier was arrested shortly after in Michigan, where he confessed to both crimes. In 1996, he was convicted of the murder of Pauline Brown in Alabama and sentenced to death. In 2018, he chose to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia, a method adopted in Alabama as an alternative to lethal injection. The day before his execution, he was offered a last meal; Frasier requested Taco Bell food, including burritos and a Mountain Dew soda. The state of Alabama executed Demetrius Terren Frasier on Thursday night using this method. He was declared dead at 6:36 p.m. According to Governor Kay Ivey’s office, he became the fourth person to be executed in the state using this procedure. When asked for his last words, Frasier said, “First of all, I want to apologize to the friends and family of Pauline Brown. What happened to her should never have happened. I want to apologize.”
James Dennis Ford, State Florida. In 1997, James Ford invited Greg and Kimberly Mallerie on a fishing trip, but he brutally attacked them. Greg was shot in the head with a .22 rifle and then struck with an axe, while Kimberly was hit in the head and sexually assaulted before being murdered. Additionally, the couple’s 22-month-old daughter was left in the truck for over 18 hours, exposed and covered in her mother’s blood. Ford was found guilty of murder, sexual assault, and child abuse. The brutality of the case and the vulnerability of the child further aggravated his crime. Despite multiple appeals, his death sentence was upheld in 1999, and he has remained on death row at Florida State Prison since then. In recent years, the application of the death penalty in Florida has been inconsistent. In 2024, only one execution took place, in contrast to the six carried out in 2023. However, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Ford’s execution order, marking the end of a period of inactivity in the state. The day before his execution, he was offered a last meal; Ford requested steak, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, pumpkin pie, and sweet tea. When asked for his last words, James Dennis Ford had nothing to say on Thursday night while lying strapped to a gurney before the 25 witnesses present. However, the Department of Prisons reported that Ford wrote a message on paper, which read, “Hugs, prayers, love. God bless you all.”
Richard Lee Tabler, State Texas. In November 2004, Richard Lee Tabler murdered Muhammad Ramuni, a nightclub manager, and his friend, Zed, in Killeen, Texas. Tabler, along with his accomplice Timothy Don Payne, lured Ramuni under the pretense of selling him sound equipment. Upon arriving at the location, they ambushed him, shooting Zed first, then Ramuni, who was shot again as he was dragged from the car. After committing the double murder, Tabler stole Ramuni’s wallet and other items from the vehicle, while Payne filmed the crime with a video camera. Tabler later called the police to take responsibility and threaten more murders. Two days later, on November 28th, Tabler murdered Amanda Benefield and Tiffany Lorraine, two teenagers who worked at the same nightclub. He selected them from a list of employees he believed had implicated him in the previous murders. Tabler kept calling the police, mocking them and making new threats. Tabler was arrested and sentenced to death for the four murders, found guilty for his brutality and the constant threats he made after the crimes. On February 13th, 2025, Richard Lee Tabler was executed at the age of 46. At 6:38 p.m., he was declared dead after receiving a lethal dose of pentobarbital. Tabler was the second man executed in Texas in 2025. In his final statement, Tabler apologized to the families of his victims, some of whom were present during the execution. He also thanked his family, legal team, and death row staff for their support. “Not a day goes by that I don’t regret my actions. I had no right to take their loved ones, and I ask and pray, I hope and pray, that one day you find it in your hearts to forgive me for those actions. None of my apologies will bring them back.”
