Web Desk
Marcia Fulton expressed her deep frustration last week as she discussed the recent stay of execution for David Leonard Wood, the man convicted of killing her daughter and five other victims whose bodies were discovered in a Northeast El Paso desert.
“I never imagined this would happen again,” said Fulton, the mother of 15-year-old Desiree Wheatley. “I thought this time it would finally be over. They’ve had decades to prepare.”
David Leonard Wood, 67, known as the “Desert Killer,” was scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
However, less than 48 hours before the execution, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay. This marks the second time Wood’s execution has been halted at the last moment.
In 2009, a similar stay was issued just 24 hours before his scheduled execution, based on an appeal claiming mental impairment. That appeal was later denied.
For Fulton, the latest delay means her 37-year wait for justice continues. She hopes it won’t take another 15 years for the case to reach a resolution. “I don’t understand how this can happen twice,” she said. “They claim there’s new information, but it’s the same information from 37 years ago.”
Wood was convicted in 1992 for the murder of Ivy Susanna Williams, 23, and under Texas’ serial-killing provision, the deaths of five other girls were added to his conviction.
The victims, all found in shallow graves in Northeast El Paso, were last seen with Wood. Three additional victims connected to Wood remain missing.
Wood has maintained his innocence for nearly 40 years, arguing that unreliable evidence was used to secure his conviction.
His legal team has repeatedly requested DNA testing on hundreds of pieces of evidence from the crime scenes, though only three items were tested during his 1992 trial.
In 2010, an appeals court allowed retesting of these items, but the results were inconclusive, and a blood stain on one victim’s dress excluded Wood as a possible donor.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals did not provide a reason for the latest stay. The case now involves at least eight appeals, which prosecutors and defense attorneys must review before the court decides the next steps.
Fulton, who has been battling serious health issues, remains determined to see Wood face justice. “They’re playing a game,” she said.
“But I’m not going anywhere. This is the criminal justice system, not a victims’ justice system. Victims continue to be victimized.”
Prominent El Paso attorney Sergio Saldivar, who is not involved in the case, explained that death penalty appeals can take years to resolve. However, he believes Wood’s case is nearing its conclusion.
“It’s been nearly 40 years, and he’s at the tail end of his appeals,” Saldivar said. “The justices will need to decide how complex the issues are, but I don’t anticipate it taking much longer.”
If the appeals are denied, Wood will return to death row to await a new execution date.
If the court upholds the appeals, the case could be sent back for a retrial, which would present numerous legal challenges due to the passage of time.
