Death row inmate wants pastor to lay hands on him as he dies

A Texas decease enactment inmate has filed a suit successful the hopes that officials volition let a pastor to laic hands upon him arsenic he's administered a lethal injection connected Sept. 8.

According to CBS News, John Henry Ramirez, 37, filed the suit connected Aug. 10, asking a national justice to let his pastor to beryllium contiguous successful the decease enclosure during his execution truthful helium tin laic hands upon him astatine the infinitesimal helium dies.

The suit cites a 2019 Supreme Court bid that stayed an execution unless the inmate's spiritual advisor beryllium allowed to beryllium with him successful the decease chamber. That inmate, who was besides acceptable to beryllium executed successful Texas, has not received a caller execution date.

According to The New York Times, the suit argues that the laying of hands would hap "when astir Christians judge they volition either ascend to eden oregon descend to hellhole — successful different words, erstwhile spiritual acquisition and signifier is astir needed."

Ramirez said his pastor, Dana Moore, had been ministering to him for astir 5 years. Moore is the pastor of Second Baptist Church successful Corpus Christi and has traveled 300 miles to the situation successful Livingston, Texas — wherever Ramirez is being held — to talk with inmates determination for implicit a decade.

"It would conscionable beryllium comforting," Ramirez told the Times.

According to the Times, Ramirez and Moore person ne'er touched. When Moore visits Ramirez for prayer, they property their palms up against the plexiglass that separates them.

Ramirez was convicted of the 2004 stabbing decease of Pablo Castro, a convenience store clerk successful Corpus Christi. Ramirez stabbed Castro 29 times successful a robbery effort that netted him conscionable $1.25.

Ramirez has already had 2 stays of execution. CBS News reports that his execution was delayed successful 2017 truthful helium could get a caller lawyer and delayed again successful September owed to the pandemic.