Bio

Darryl Elroy Stewart was born on April 2, 1955. He grew up in Harris County, Texas, where he lived for most of his life. He graduated from high school or received a GED.

As a young adult, he found himself in challenging circumstances. He would later become involved in a criminal lifestyle that led to serious legal troubles. By the time he reached his late twenties, Stewart was living in an apartment complex, where he would eventually commit a crime that changed the course of his life forever. In 1980, at the age of 24, he would break into an apartment, leading to a tragic event that resulted in a murder.

Stewart's life took a drastic turn from that moment on, leading to years of legal battles, a conviction, and ultimately, an execution on May 3, 1993, at the age of 38.

Murder Story

On February 6, 1980, Darryl Elroy Stewart, along with an accomplice named Kelvin Kelley, entered the apartment of 22-year-old Donna Kate Thomas in Harris County, Texas. The two men planned to commit a burglary. At the time, Ms. Thomas had left her door open to watch her four-year-old daughter, who was playing outside.

Once inside, Stewart attempted to force Ms. Thomas into a sexual act. When she resisted, he reacted violently. Stewart covered the child's face with a pillow, leaving her in a closet, and proceeded to shoot Ms. Thomas twice in the head with a .25-caliber pistol. After the shooting, both men fled the scene.

Later that day, Stewart and Kelley were arrested. Kelley agreed to testify against Stewart in exchange for a lesser charge and a reduced sentence. Initially, authorities were unsure about who had fired the gun. However, the victim’s daughter, identified as Donna Faye, provided crucial testimony, stating, "The skinny man shot my mama," pointing to Stewart as the shooter.

Darryl Stewart was convicted of capital murder. He was sentenced to death. After several years of appeals, he was executed by lethal injection on May 3, 1993, becoming the 200th person executed in Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.