Ivan Cantu: Texas inmate executed for double murder despite pleading innocence until his last words

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS: On Wednesday, February 28, Texas carried out its first capital punishment of the year by executing 50-year-old inmate Ivan Cantu on death row.

Cantu, who had spent over two decades claiming his innocence, received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the November 2000 fatal shooting of his cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, and his girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, 22.

His final words from the execution chamber echoed his consistent plea of innocence, stating multiple times that he was wrongly convicted.

Ivan Cantu claimed a rival drug dealer's involvement in cousin's death

Prosecutors contended that Cantu murdered Mosqueda during an attempted robbery of drugs and cash from his cousin's residence in north Dallas. Despite being convicted in 2001, Cantu maintained that a rival drug dealer was accountable for his cousin's death, sparking a disagreement over money.

The execution moved forward despite efforts from Cantu's attorney, Gena Bunn, who chose not to file a final appeal to the US Supreme Court. Bunn cited an inability to "find a viable path" for the case to be reviewed at the highest level.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals had previously rejected his plea to stay the execution, stressing that the new evidence presented was deemed "not credible" and "did not undermine the crucial incriminating evidence against Cantu."

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, steadfast in his conviction, asserted that the evidence presented at trial indisputably proved Cantu's guilt. “I remain fully convinced that Ivan Cantu brutally murdered two innocent victims in 2000,” Willis said.

On the other hand, Cantu's defense argued that the new evidence "impugns the integrity of the State's case for guilt and raises the specter that the State of Texas could execute an innocent man.”

Ivan Cantu's attorney alleges suspect admitted to killing his cousin in a 2005 confession 

Prosecutors cited the discovery of bloody jeans containing the victims' DNA and a key to the victims' home found in Cantu's apartment, along with the recovery of the suspect's gun at his ex-girlfriend's residence, as crucial pieces of incriminating evidence.

In a sworn statement in 2005, Matthew Goeller, one of the suspects' legal representatives during the trial, asserted that Cantu confessed to him, admitting that he had killed Mosqueda over a dispute regarding a drug transaction and that Kitchen was targeted because she witnessed the crime.

The key witness for the prosecution, Cantu's then-girlfriend Amy Boettcher, was instrumental in the case. Although Boettcher passed away in 2021, her testimony played a significant role, wherein she asserted that Cantu had informed her of his intent to murder Mosqueda and Kitchen.

Additionally, she stated that Cantu had taken her back to the crime scene following the killings.

Witness statements support Ivan Cantu's claim of threats to cousin in his final days

In contrast, Bunn challenged Boettcher's testimony, asserting that it contained numerous inaccuracies. Bunn particularly highlighted false assertions, such as Boettcher's claims of Cantu stealing Mosqueda's Rolex watch and giving her an engagement ring stolen from Kitchen.

Bunn also argued that new statements from other witnesses supported Cantu's assertion that a man who supplied drugs to Mosqueda had threatened him just two days prior to the tragic incident, as per NBC.

The contentious case garnered backing from diverse sources, including religious leaders, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and actor Martin Sheen, and politicians such as US Rep Joaquin Castro and his brother, former US Housing Secretary Julian Castro.

Additionally, three jurors from Cantu's trial expressed skepticism about the case and called for a postponement in the execution.

In legal filings, Willis' office affirmed, stating, "Amy Boettcher testified truthfully." Addressing the new evidence presented by Cantu, Willis' office maintained, "None of it undermines the fundamental pillars of the State's case."