How Long Does an Inmate Spend on Death Row?

Two death row inmates housed in Texas's Polunsky Unit in Huntsville are scheduled to be executed soon although they have been on death row less than six years. Chi Heliberto, who was received on 11-21-2002, from Tarrant County, is to be executed on October 3, after only 5 years on death row. Dennard Mann's, received on March 4, 2002, from Bell County is scheduled to be executed on January 24, 2008, making his stay on death row close to six years.

Heliberto was convicted of murdering a 56 year old man in an armed robbery, and also wounding another man on March 24, 01. His codefendant Alejandro Sierra was sitting in the car outside the store when the crime was committed.

Dennard Mann was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a 26 year old women in her house. He also stole money and credit cards from the victim and drove off in her car. Mann has done prior prison time in New York.

According to the Texas department Of Criminal Justice website, and death row inmate page, the Judge presiding over the death row case sets the date of execution when it shows that all appeals from that case have been exhausted.

Other death row inmates with execution dates have been on death row much longer than six years. Michael Richards who was received on November 30, 1987, is to be executed on September 25. 2007 making his stay on death row 20 years. Another inmate with an execution date of September 13, Joseph Lave was received on October 10, 1994, making his time a total of thirteen years.

The average time for an inmate to be on death row is 10.26 years as listed on the TDCJ website. Other interesting facts about how long an inmate is on death row is that the shortest time in Texas death row history for an inmate to spend is 248 days by Joe Gonzalez, and the second shortest stay was by Steve Renfro, with a total of 257 days.

The longest time for an inmate to spend on death row is Excell White, who spent 24 years on death row before his execution on March 3, 1999. Sammie Felder Jr. who was executed on December 15, 1999, spent 23 years on death row. However there are several inmates on death row who have been there since 1975, through the early eighties.