John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston Criminal Lawyer
"Serious Criminal Defense Throughout Texas"
Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer
Trials, Sentencings and Appeals
Federal And State Criminal Defense
Phone # (713) 224-0101
Toll Free 1-866-374-1327
E-mail jfloyd@JohnTFloyd.com
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Latest Texas Death Penalty cases from the Criminal Courts of Texas
January 30, 2007
Media Advisory: Christopher Swift Scheduled For Execution
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information about Christopher Jay Swift, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 30, 2007, for the strangulation of his wife, Amy Amel Sabeh-Swift and his mother-in-law, Sandy Sabeh. In April 2005, he was tried for capital murder, convicted, and sentenced to death.
FACTS OF THE CRIME
On April 30, 2003, the Farmer’s Branch Police Department received a call from the Stemmons Freeway Days Inn that a five-year-old boy was abandoned at the motel and had been playing unsupervised in the lobby area. Officers went to the motel, and the child, Zachary Swift, explained that his father left him at the motel the night before after killing the boy’s mother and grandmother. According to Zachary, Swift stabbed and killed Zachary’s mother, drove Zachary to Swift’s mother-in-law’s house, and killed Zachary’s grandmother, too.
Irving police found the body of Amy Amel Sabeh-Swift on the floor of the trailer home she shared with Swift. Lake Dallas officers discovered the body of Sandy Sabeh in the kitchen of her Lake Dallas home.
A trace of Swift’s electronic debit card use led authorities to Swift’s hideout at a motel in Dallas. During the five-hour interrogation that followed his arrest, Swift stated that he choked both women, then drove his son, Zachary, to a motel room.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Swift was indicted for capital murder. Trial on the merits began on March 28, 2005, in the 211th District Court of Denton County. In Apil 2005, Swift was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Swift insisted that he did not want a lawyer to represent him on direct appeal. After a hearing, the trial court determined that Swift was evaluated by an expert in whose opinion Swift was competent to decide to represent himself, and that Swift waived counsel voluntarily. In an unpublished opinion issued on September 20, 2006, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Swift’s conviction and sentence. Swift did not pursue certiorari review. Swift, in fact, waived his right to further challenge the validity of his conviction and death sentence. At his request, the trial court set his execution for this year: January 30, 2007.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
On December 24, 1996, Swift committed aggravated assault when he allowed his vehicle to strike a police officer. Swift’s explanation was that he was “just drunk.”
On January 27, 1997, Swift committed another aggravated assault when he punched his mom several times in the head and face, then threatened her with a knife. Swift’s explanation for that offense was: “I didn’t threaten her, she lied.”
In July 1997, the State sentenced Swift to four years’ imprisonment for second-degree aggravated assault (for the attack on his mom) and “lesser included offense aggravated assault” (for the attack on the officer).
Prior to that, Swift was arrested for evading arrest, assault causing bodily injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and driving while intoxicated.
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