North Texas man Cedric Ricks was found guilty of stabbing his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez and her juvenile son, Anthony Figueroa, to death back in 2013.
Thirteen years later, Cedric Ricks is scheduled to be executed for his crime on March 11. The 51-year-old is set to receive a lethal injection after 6 p.m. CDT at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. His defense lawyers have petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the execution, citing racial discrimination.
⚖️ Texas is scheduled to execute a man convicted in a 2013 North Texas killing.
Cedric Ricks, 51, was sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son, Anthony Figueroa, in Bedford. Another child in the home survived the attack… pic.twitter.com/s4NWcv3uup
— Chron (@chron) March 11, 2026
The attorneys argued that Cedric Ricks’ constitutional rights were violated by the prosecutors. They allege that prosecutors removed potential jurors based on race during jury selection. As per Fair and Just Prosecution, an amicus brief filed shows evidence of prosecutors striking off only Black prospective jurors.
The case has now shifted from an individual charged with murder to one that reignites debate on existing racial bias within the criminal justice system. The attorneys alleged that such biases appear often in death penalty cases. They say this raises serious doubts about public confidence in the justice system.
Ricks said he suspected unfair practices when his appeals for ineffective counsel and requests to suppress evidence were denied. His attorneys further claimed, “At trial, Ricks already suspected that the State had singled out minority jurors to exclude them from his jury.” Court documents obtained by the defense attorneys have further pointed out that until 2021, the prosecutors singled out minority jurors.
In contrast to the accusations, the Texas Attorney General’s office disputes the allegations. They claimed that the court records had, however, shown that the prosecutor’s decisions were entirely race-neutral and had already been sentenced for their actions as non-discriminatory.
Moreover, the statement from the Attorney’s office changed the attention back to the crime of Cedric Ricks. They alleged that the man had “viciously stabbed his girlfriend Roxann and her eight-year-old son Anthony to death”. As a result, public interest in carrying out his execution has never been higher.
Cedric Ricks is scheduled to be executed 3/11. On Friday, he filed this petition asking SCOTUS to let him litigate new evidence of racial discrimination that Texas prosecutors had previously hidden. https://t.co/nlF5YxwG8N @TexDefender @TCADPdotORG @uscedp #deathpenalty pic.twitter.com/SpkpZEW3l4
— Robert Dunham (@RDunhamDP) March 11, 2026
On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks’ request for a 90-day reprieve. It also denied a request to commute his execution. The case stems from a brutal fight between Ricks and his girlfriend. It was the latter’s two sons from her previous marriage who had intervened and tried to stop them.
But they fail, and it was Cedric who then grabbed a knife from the kitchen of the apartment and stabs Roxann multiple times. He then killed Anthony and proceeded to Marcus, who had hidden in the closet and called the police. The 12-year-old was stabbed as well but spared after he pretended to be dead. Cedric reportedly had not harmed his girlfriend’s infant son, Isaiah, and fled immediately. He was arrested in Oklahoma.
At trial, Ricks admitted he had anger issues. He claimed he was only trying to defend himself against Roxann’s two sons, who came to her aid. He had then stated, “Explaining my rage, I was upset. Things happen. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I wish I could bring them back, like, right now.”
