BOWIE COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — William Speer, 48, has been on death row since Oct. 30, 2001 and has a scheduled execution date of Oct. 26 of this year.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Speer was previously given a life sentence on Feb. 1, 1991 from Harris County for one count of capital murder with a deadly weapon.

On July 11, 1997, while serving that sentence at the Telford Unit in Bowie County, Speer strangled to death a 47-year-old white offender in the victim’s cell and was subsequently placed on death row in 2001.

Speer is currently one of 187 inmates on death row in the State of Texas. His stint on death row has been 21 years and 10 months.