John Thuesen was given the death penalty Friday after being on trial for the murder of Rachel and Travis Joiner. Jurors sat in court and answered “yes” to whether he will present a danger to society if allowed to live.
Thuesen, 26, walked into his girlfriend’s house March 6, 2009, in College Station, and shot and killed both siblings, who were attending Texas A&M U.
Thuesen was attending Blinn College at the time of the murders and, according to the police report, called authorities after shooting Rachel Joiner, 21, in the chest and hand, and her brother Travis Joiner, 23. KBTX reported that the source of Thuesen’s anger was a request from Rachel for space in their relationship.
He has been diagnosed with severe depression and a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, both in relation to his service in the Marine Corps and tours of duty in Iraq.
Neither condition was mitigating enough to waive the severity of the crime. The defense related disappointment with the verdict.Deliberation over Thuesen’s sentence drew out over two days, during nearly 10 combined hours of court time.
After the judge announced the sentence on the trial’s fifteenth day, Wayne Joiner, Rachel and Travis’ father, offered a few choice words.“I shook your hand on our front porch, and thanked you for your service to our country,” Joiner said. “You turned your back, walked away, drove to College Station, and less than 90 days later, my children are gone.”Shirley Joiner, the siblings’ mother, spoke to a local news station after the announcement.
“We just appreciate everything the DA’s office has done and that everything was done right so that this could move forward the way it did,” she said.
Assistant district attorneys Brian Baker and Jarvis Parsons expressed regret over the circumstances but confidence that the verdict was the right one.
“[The jury] did a terribly difficult thing, and they did an honorable thing, and the just thing.” Baker said. “We thank them for that time and that service.”
Thuesen has already been moved to Texas’ holding facility for death row inmates, but the date, time, details and finality of his execution are pending the appeal that is given to such cases by state law.