Execution date established for Bedford man found guilty of killing his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son in 2013.

An execution date has been established for Cedric Ricks, a 51-year-old Bedford man convicted of the brutal murder of his estranged girlfriend and her eight-year-old son in 2013. Court records indicate that Ricks is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on March 11 at the state prison in Huntsville.

Ricks was sentenced to death in 2014 after a Tarrant County jury found him guilty of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Roxann Diana Sanchez, 30, and her son, Anthony Reyes Figueroa. The crimes took place against the backdrop of domestic violence issues that had escalated in the months prior to the murders. Officials from the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office highlighted the case’s relevance during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, emphasizing ongoing efforts to combat family violence.

According to legal documents, Ricks had shared a child with Sanchez, a nine-month-old baby named Isaiah, while Sanchez also had two sons from a previous relationship: Anthony and his older brother, Marcus. Ricks had been previously barred from seeing Isaiah due to allegations of choking Sanchez and injuring one of her sons. Although Sanchez had sought a protective order against Ricks, that order expired in January 2013, leading up to the tragic events on May 1 of that year in their apartment on Park Place Boulevard.

Reports indicate that Ricks confronted Sanchez as she returned home with groceries, initiating a violent altercation. Witnesses, including her sons, attempted to intervene. Ricks allegedly restrained Marcus while fatally stabbing both Sanchez and Anthony, leaving Marcus critically injured. He later testified in court about the horrific event, stating he survived by mimicking the sounds of his brother as he died.

Law enforcement officials learned of the killings from Ricks’ family after he contacted them following the murders. He was eventually apprehended in Oklahoma while driving Sanchez’s vehicle, thanks to a coordinated police effort that utilized cellphone tracking.

The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before convicting Ricks of capital murder. Following the exhaustion of his appeals in both state and federal courts, a Tarrant County judge signed an order to proceed with his execution on October 17. Ricks has raised multiple defenses related to his trial, including claims of unlawfully obtained evidence. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected these arguments, citing justifiable circumstances for warrantless entry into the residence based on the need for immediate assistance.

As Ricks prepares for execution, the legal system’s processing of his case underscores broader issues related to domestic violence and the complexities of capital punishment.