Famous Last Words

David Castillo

Texas

September 23, 1998

“Keep it brief here. Just want to say, uh, family, take care of yourselves. Uh, look at this as a learning experience. Everything happens for a reason. We all know what really happened, but there are some things you just can’t fight. Little people always seem to get squashed. It happens. Even so, just got to take the good with the bad. There is no man that is free from all evil, nor any man that is so evil to be worth nothing. But it’s all part of life, and my family, take care of yourselves. Tell my wife I love her. I’ll keep an eye on everybody, especially my nieces and nephews. I’m pretty good. I love y’all. Take care. I’m ready.”

Castillo, at the age of 19, held up a liquor store. The cashier tried to resist and was stabbed stomach, chest, and across his face. The wounds seemed to be healing while the victim recovered in the hospital, but he took a sudden turn for the worst and died of an infection. During his autopsy, it was revealed a 9 inch medical clamp had been left in his stomach during surgery which caused the deadly infection. Due to Texas state law, Castillo was found responsible for the man’s death, though a malpractice suit was brought against the hospital for wrongful death. Castillo was executed by lethal injection September 23, 1998.