Texas Crime and Courts

Charles Thompson, convicted of the 1998 killings of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, is scheduled to be executed in Texas and would be the first person put to death in the United States in 2026. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied his clemency request Monday; Thompson, who escaped custody for three days in 2005 by slipping cuffs and an orange jumpsuit and using a makeshift badge from his ID, later described briefly being able to "smell the trees" and feel the wind during the run.

Copperas Cove Police Officer Elijah Garretson, 27, was shot and killed while attempting to arrest 26-year-old fugitive Jamison Cavazos, who was wanted for engaging in organized criminal activity and failing to appear in court as of Jan. 10, Texas officials said. According to State Sen. Pete Flores, Garretson and two other officers struggled with Cavazos during the arrest attempt when Cavazos opened fire, fatally wounding Garretson before fleeing and later dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a prolonged negotiation at a second location. The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, and two pistols were recovered from Cavazos. Garretson, a New Hampshire native and former U.S. Army sergeant stationed at Fort Hood, had graduated from the police academy in June 2025 as its Academic Honor Graduate and was credited with saving a fellow cadet’s life during training. He leaves behind a wife and 5-year-old daughter, and law enforcement communities in Texas and New Hampshire have publicly honored his service and sacrifice.