Death row killer's heartbreaking message to victim's mom as he begs for mercy after his 'stupidity'

A man on Death Row has issued a heartfelt appeal in a video, pleading for his execution to be changed to life imprisonment. Ramiro Gonzales , 41, who received the death sentence for kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing 18-year-old Bridget Townsend in 2001, showed profound regret in the video .

Addressing the victim's mother directly, he stated: "I just want [Townsend's mother] to know just how sorry I really am." In the poignant 23-minute video , Gonzales contemplates the terrible act and its tragic consequences for the young girl's family.

Battling severe drug addiction when he committed the murder, Gonzales admitted: "I took something valuable from a mother because of my stupidity. Because of what I did," reports the Daily Star .

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If you can't see the video below, click here.

He went on to recognize the enormous burden he carries, a burden that demands continuous effort to make amends: "So, going through these levels of remorse, the complexity of that, it's like the depth of what I owe," as reported by the Mirror US.

The video shows that Gonzales has spent the last 18 years on Death Row trying to find spiritual peace and work towards redemption. With his most recent plea, he aims to convince the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole to commute his death penalty to a life sentence, despite previous attempts indicating a bleak prospect.

In July 2022, he made a plea to the board to postpone his execution for Townsend's murder so he could donate a kidney, but this request was swiftly rejected. However, the criminal seemed to have a stroke of luck when his execution was put on hold by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, who suggested the verdict in Gonzales' trial may have been swayed by false testimony.

However, this investigation only served to delay the inevitable as the prisoner's death sentence was rescheduled for June 26 once officials concluded no such testimony influenced the guilty verdict.

This led to the release of Gonzales' video in a desperate bid to persuade the BPP to commute his sentence to life imprisonment. Alongside issuing a sincere apology and demonstrating personal growth, Gonzales used his status on Death Row as a reason to reconsider his execution, claiming his presence provides comfort to other inmates anxiously awaiting their executions.

The Death Row inmate had already received two life sentences for the abduction and rape of a Bandera real estate agent before he confessed to kidnapping Townsend, who had been missing for two years at the time, raping her and ultimately shooting her in cold blood. The confession came out of the blue.

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Gonzales decided to disclose the details to Sherrif James MacMillan while waiting for his prison transfer. Although initially doubtful of Gonzales' sudden truthfulness, Sheriff MacMillan's suspicions waned when the killer offered to lead law enforcement to the teenager's remains.

He guided the sheriff and his deputies to a secluded ranch in Medina County where they traveled to an isolated hillside. After hiking approximately a hundred yards, the offender abruptly halted and announced, "this is it".

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