Texas inmate Ramiro Gonzales set for execution on teen victim's birthday: Here's what to know

A man convicted of the rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman is set to be executed in Texas on Wednesday, the same day as what would have been the victim's 41st birthday.

Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection more than 20 years after he kidnapped, raped and killed 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, dumping her body in a field in Bandera, about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

If the execution moves forward, Gonzales will be the second inmate put to death in the state this year and the eighth in the nation.

Gonzales has been filing a flurry of appeals and a petition for clemency, asking Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant him a lesser penalty or more time. He also says he's a changed man who has found God and is "deeply sorry" for his crimes.

Meanwhile Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, plans on having a front-row seat for the execution, telling USA TODAY that it will be a "joyful occasion" for her family.

Here's what to know about Ramiro Gonzales' execution:

Last-minute appeals denied, execution set to move forward 

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday denied three motions filed on behalf of Gonzales to stop the execution. 

The Texas Board of Parole and Pardons also rejected Gonzales’s petition for clemency the same day, voting 7-0 on the commutation of the death sentence to a lesser penalty.

Only a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court or a pardon from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott could stop the execution now. Abbott, who has referred to the death penalty as "Texas justice," has overseen the execution of 73 inmates since he took office in 2015 and granted clemency in one case.

Attempts for relief sought, cites change in character 

As a boy, Gonzales endured physical and sexual abuse throughout his childhood, often at the hands of relatives, and was the epitome of an “unwanted child," clinical psychologist Kate Porterfield says in a clemency video submitted to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on June 4.

The death of a beloved aunt who was killed by a drunk driver "plunged Ramiro into inconsolable grief" at the age of 15 and caused him to turn to drugs, his clemency petition says.

Gonzales asserts that his subsequent “deep descent into addiction” played a role in the criminal acts that unfolded in January 2001, arguing in a court filing this month that he is not the same troubled 18-year-old he once was and no longer poses a threat to society. 

“In the 18 years that Mr. Gonzales has been on death row, he has committed no criminal acts of violence or, indeed, no criminal acts whatsoever,” the filing says. “Instead, he has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult.” 

Gonzales has reached out to Bridget's family over the years to convey his “profound remorse” for their incalculable pain and anguish.

Bridget's mother rejects Gonzales' apology, doesn't feel sorry for him

Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY that she doesn't buy Gonzales' remorse.

“He doesn't deserve mercy," she said. "His childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood ... He made his choice."

Townsend spent nearly two years searching for her daughter following the killing, all that time holding out hope she'd be found alive somewhere. Bridget's body was only found after Gonzales confessed to the crime while serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman; he subsequently led authorities to Bridget's body.

Townsend, who lives in San Antonio, is driving four hours to be among the witnesses to Gonzales' execution.

She said she found some comfort when she learned that Gonzales is set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it. 

“When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying," she said. "That’s her birthday."

Ramiro Gonzales execution date, time, last meal

Gonzales is set to be executed at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston. 

The execution will occur at 6 p.m. CT or anytime thereafter on Wednesday, June 26. Gonzales will be put to death by lethal injection, the most common method of execution in the U.S., according to the Death Penalty Information Center. 

The kinds of drugs or combination of drugs vary across jurisdiction, with states using one, two, or as many as three drugs to put inmates to death. The drugs used in earlier executions have become increasingly difficult to obtain, making for what the Death Penalty Information Center argues are prolonged and painful execution.

Hannah Haney, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, told USA TODAY on Tuesday that a pentobarbital will be used to put Gonzales to death. 

Gonzales will choose his last meal from the “menu that is available to all inmates at the Huntsville Unit” as condemned inmates in Texas no longer make last meal requests, according to Haney.