Texas carried out its first execution in 10 months on Wednesday night, administering a lethal injection to 41-year-old Quintin Jones, a Black man convicted for killing his great-aunt in 1999. Jones had pleaded with the Texas governor to spare his life in a viral video produced by The New York Times. The victim’s family had forgiven Jones and publicly opposed the execution, including signing a petition for clemency. In a shocking move, there were no media witnesses present during Jones’s execution. A spokesperson said new staff failed to tell reporters it was time to carry out the lethal injection, and so they were left waiting in an office across the street while Jones was put to death.