Texas Man Executed: Mario Swain, 'Serial Killer in Training' Dies by Lethal Injection for Violently Killing Woman during 2002 Burglary

Mario Swain, a Texas man who prosecutors once described as a "serial killer in training," was executed by lethal injection on Thursday evening (Nov. 8) for the killing of 44-year-old Lola Nixon during a burglary at the woman's own Longview home back in 2002. 33-year-old Swain did not give a final statement - he only shook his head no and closed his eyes before going completely quiet just moments later at approximately 6:39 p.m. CST in Huntsville, TX. No witnesses, either from Swain or Nixon's family, were present during the procedure. Swain was the first of three prisoners set to be executed in Texas in the next week.

According to reports, Swain murdered Nixon in a rather violent and disturbing manner during an attempted break-in just two days after Christmas in 2002- bludgeoning her with a tire iron, stabbing her, and then finally strangling her to death. Swain then transferred Nixon's lifeless body to the trunk of her BMW car and drove it out of town approximately 120 east of Dallas, ultimately dumping and leaving her to rot in an abandoned car.

Police were tipped off to the case when friends were unable to get ahold of Nixon days late. When law enforcement arrived at her home, they found the backdoor ajar and blood splattered throughout the house. A neighbor reported to police that they saw an unfamiliar truck parked on the street, which was then traced back to Swain. He initially blamed friends for the break-in, but ultimately confessed to the murder and led police to Nixon's body and produced the tire iron he used to beat her with. Evidence against Swain included Nixon's used credit cards, keys, and garage door opener in his possession, along with traces of blood found on his own clothing.

According to court records, evidence and testimony at Swain's 2003 trial proved that Swain would gather information and write up a list of women he wanted to attack and rob. Many witnesses then testified that he would then stalk them and viciously attack them. He then forced these women to inhale an anesthetic and hit them over the head with a wrench or shoot them with a stun gun. Prosecutor Lance Larison, who described Swain as "a serial killer in training," stated, "A girlfriend told us he kept a list in notebooks of names and license plates of girls he would follow. I think he was working up to something."

The US Supreme Court refused to review Swain's case - the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals also rejected an appeal last week. The court appeal contended that a prison expert's testimony during the capital murder trial was false and misleading. Swain refused to speak to the press before his death.