Vaughn Ross

Viola was the sister of Ross's girlfriend. Douglas Birdsall had been the associate dean at the Texas Tech library. Ross shot both victims. Later the same day, a mountain biker came across the murder scene and found both Douglas's and Viola's bodies in a car. DNA on a latex glove found in Birdsall's car and a sweatshirt Vaughn was wearing had blood of Douglas Birdsall; these were two things that linked Ross to the double murder.^[5] In 2002, Ross was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection by a jury.^[6] Prior to the murders, Ross had previous convictions in Missouri for auto theft and stabbing his ex-girlfriend Regina Carlisle 15 times. He pleaded guilty to these crimes in 1997 and was put on probation.^[7]

Ross received attention in Sweden after he agreed to be part of a special theme week about the death penalty in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.^[8] Aftonbladet covered his case and his last week alive before his execution and reported live from outside the prison on the day of the execution.^[9]

Ross left a final statement before being executed which was revealed to Aftonbladet reporter Carina Bergfeldt.^[1] He is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.

• Capital punishment in Texas
• List of people executed in Texas, 2010–2019
• List of people executed in the United States in 2013