Texas to Execute Travis James Mullis for Murdering His Infant Son: Details

This story includes graphic descriptions of crimes committed against an infant.

Texas is preparing to execute Travis James Mullis on Tuesday for the tragic murder of his infant son, Alijah, who was described by his grandmother as a “very precious” baby.

Mullis, now 38 years old, is scheduled to die by lethal injection nearly 16 years after he molested and killed his 3-month-old son. After committing the crime, he abandoned Alijah’s body in a secluded location at Galveston’s Seawall, a well-known recreational area south of Houston.

If the execution proceeds as planned, Mullis will become the fourth person executed in Texas this year and the 15th or 16th nationwide, depending on whether he is declared dead before or after Marcellus Williams, another inmate facing execution in Missouri on the same day.

His execution is part of a series, with five scheduled across the country from September 20 to September 26, including Freddie Owens, who is set to be executed first on Friday in South Carolina.

Mullis was convicted for the brutal death of his infant son, who met a horrific fate on January 29, 2008. Alijah was choked, sexually abused, and ultimately stomped to death before his body was discarded at the seawall. Following the crime, Mullis attempted to eliminate all evidence, including the car seat and his son’s remains, before fleeing the state.

Four days later, Mullis turned himself in and confessed to the murder, claiming he had reached his “breaking point” because he could not stop the baby from crying. He was convicted of capital murder on March 11, 2011, and received a death sentence shortly after.

While Mullis has never denied killing his son, his stance on contesting his death sentence has been inconsistent over the years. He lost the right to appeal in state court but sought a reprieve in federal court with new legal representation in July 2013. His attorneys argued that his conviction stemmed from ineffective legal counsel and errors made during the trial. However, a federal court dismissed his appeal, and an appellate court upheld this dismissal in June 2023.

Peter Walker, one of Mullis’ defense attorneys, expressed concerns to a local newspaper about proceeding with the execution without reviewing the constitutional validity of the death sentence, calling it a “systemic failure.”

Travis Mullis spent his childhood and teenage years in a small Maryland town with relatives after the death of his mother in infancy. He dealt with intermittent mental health challenges stemming from being sexually abused by a family member and received treatment and medication for behavioral issues.

At 18, he left his aunt’s home after being told to either take his medication or leave. Eventually, he moved to Texas, residing with a friend before becoming involved with Caren Kohberger, with whom he had Alijah. The young couple faced financial difficulties and lived in a trailer with Mullis’ friends and their families.

According to his grandmother, Carolyn Entriken, Alijah was exceptionally beautiful. She described him as having “steel blue eyes” and “cute little reddish hair,” emphasizing his preciousness during a court hearing in March 2011. Entriken had visited Texas in December 2007 and noted that Mullis appeared caring during that visit, portraying a loving family unit.

Mullis is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at the Texas State Prison in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston, anytime after 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has announced that a single-drug protocol of pentobarbital will be used to carry out Mullis’ death sentence.

As for Mullis’ last meal, he will select from a menu available to all inmates at the Huntsville Unit since Texas no longer accommodates special last meal requests for condemned inmates.

Witnesses for the execution have not been identified, leaving it unclear how many of Mullis’ relatives will attend. However, several media representatives will be present, including reporters from the Associated Press, The Huntsville Item, the Houston Chronicle, and KPRC Houston.

Mullis’ execution is one of five taking place across the country within a six-day span. Following him, Missouri is set to execute Marcellus Williams on the same day, despite claims of his potential innocence. The following Thursday, Alabama plans to use nitrogen gas to execute Alan Eugene Miller, and Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Emmanuel Littlejohn on the same day, despite arguments of his innocence.

If all five executions go ahead as scheduled, a total of 18 death row inmates will have been executed in the U.S. this year, with six more lined up and potentially more to follow.

Source: USA TODAY