As he lay strapped to the gurney, convicted cop killer Kent Sprouse spoke his final words from the Texas death chamber.
He apologized to the families of slain Ferris police officer Marty Steinfieldt and Pedro Moreno, an innocent bystander who was also killed in the 2002 shooting spree, "for all the trouble I have caused them." He also apologized to his own family.
"I guess that's it," he said.
As the lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing into his veins, Sprouse yelled out, "Yeah, you can smell it. It's starting to hit me at that $10,000." His breathing began to sound labored and he started to make gurgling sounds. He did not speak any more.
The mother and widow of Steinfeldt sobbed as they silently watched from the tiny, airless witness room covered with bars. His father and brother were also there. Moreno's teary-eyed wife and adult son stood closest to the window.
Ferris police officers lined up outside to offer their support their fallen comrade.
"It's something that not a day goes by that we don't think about," said Ferris Police Chief Sam Love. "We think about it every day. I have a picture of him on my wall in my office. We have one in the lobby."
Sprouse, 42, was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m., 21 minutes after the lethal drugs began pumping into his system. He was the fifth death row inmate to be executed in 2015.
Afterward, Steinfieldt's wife, Michelle, issued a statement, saying that this was the "emotional end of a long excruciating journey."
"From this moment on, our thoughts will not have to be on the horrific crime that was committed on Oct. 6, 2002, but rather on the wonderful memories that we have of two kindhearted, admirable men – Marty Steinfeldt and Pedro Moreno," the statement said.
Lancaster police officer Heath Crossland, who served on the Ferris police force with Steinfeldt, echoed the sentiments of Steinfieldt's widow.
"If it's not closure, it's a good start," Crossland said. "I don't think you will ever forget or ever get over it, but I definitely think it's an opportunity to start healing."
Crossland said he came to honor the memory of his friend.
"The best description of him would be 'teddy bear,'" Crossland said. "He was intimidating if he was angry. If he was down to business, he was definitely intimidating, but he was the kindest person I knew and had a big heart."
Sprouse was convicted of killing Steinfeldt, 28, during a shooting rampage at a Diamond Shamrock gas station in Ferris, about 20 miles southeast of Dallas.
He first took a shotgun into the store as he made his purchase. When he walked out, he shot at two people who were standing at a payphone. Car troubles stopped Sprouse from fleeing the scene, and he then shot and killed 38-year-old Moreno, who was pumping gas.
Steinfeldt was the officer sent to the report of the shooting.
When the officer pulled up, Sprouse immediately opened fire on him. He shot the officer twice under the arm, where his bullet-proof vest didn't cover. Steinfeldt managed to return fire, firing 17 shots and wounding Sprouse.
As he was taken to the hospital, Sprouse told an officer that he thought Moreno was an undercover officer, and that's why he shot him.
Sprouse has been on death row since 2004 when he was convicted in the death of Steinfeldt. He had a long history of drug abuse and was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the shooting.
Steinfeldt had been a police officer for about two years when he was killed. His wife was pregnant and his daughter was born several months after his death. At his sentencing, Steinfeldt's widow made him look at a photo of their daughter.
Sprouse was transferred to a holding cell just outside the death chamber Thursday afternoon. A prison spokesman, chaplain, and warden met with him to explain the details of his impending execution.
"I'd describe him as very quiet, very matter-of-fact when answering, and didn't have a whole lot to say," said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark. "Sprouse seemed resigned that the execution was going to move forward, and he didn't see anything stopping it."
He said Sprouse declined to meet with his attorneys.
In a statement, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said it has obtained a new supply of pentobarbital that will allow them to carry out the executions of Sprouse and three others scheduled in April. The drugs were purchased from a licensed pharmacy that has the ability to compound. Prison officials said they'll need to buy more of the pentobarbital or alternate drugs to carry out executions scheduled in the coming months.
"We continue to explore all options including the continued used of pentobarbital or alternate drugs to use in the lethal injection process," the statement said.
Death penalty opponents have increasingly targeted the manufacturers of drugs used in lethal injection process. As a result, manufacturers have been increasingly unwilling to sell drugs used in capital punishment to state prison systems.
