OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma County killer Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez was put to death Thursday at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
He died by lethal injection for the 2003 shooting death of Olimpia Fisher, 43, the mother of two daughters.
The time of death was 10:13 a.m., said Kay Thompson, an Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesperson.
Fisher was shot in both eyes during an altercation between her and Cuesta-Rodriguez at the Oklahoma City home they shared.
Her pregnant daughter witnessed the first shot.
“We continue to honor and love her every day through our shared memories and raising our families to reflect the love and faith in God that she taught us,” said her daughters, Cinthya Allen and Catya Wallis, said in a statement. “Our faith in Jesus has allowed us to forgive.
“We hope this tragedy and loss reminds everyone of the importance of domestic violence awareness.”
Last month, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 against recommending clemency to Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has the final word.
Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, told the board he did not deserve nor want clemency, saying “It’s time for me to pay for what I did.”
Defense attorneys said he came from a troubled upbringing in Cuba and suffered from PTSD, depression and other health issues not originally introduced at his trial. They said he was using alcohol and steroids at the time of the murder.
“Justice has been served for Olimpia Fisher whose life was tragically cut short,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “I pray that her family finds some measure of peace after enduring 23 years of unimaginable grief.”
Tennessee and Alabama also scheduled executions for Thursday.
Republished in partnership with Oklahoma Voice under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Oklahoma Voice is a part of States Newsroom which is a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter.
Barbara Hoberock is a senior reporter with Oklahoma Voice. She has covered the statehouse since 1994 and served as Tulsa World Capitol Bureau chief. Hoberock covers statewide elected officials, the legislature, agencies, state issues, appellate courts and elections.
