Adolph Gil Hernandez, of Lubbock County, is scheduled to be executed tonight for the 1988 murder and robbery of a 69-year-old Slaton woman.Hernandez broke into the home of Elizabeth Alvarado on the evening of Sept. 30, 1988 and proceeded to beat her to death using a baseball bat after having attempted an earlier assault at a home near Alvarados. Hernandez had been drinking with friends when he left the home of Margarita Davila with a baseball bat belonging to Davilas son. Alvarados daughter, Josie Vargas, later confronted Hernandez, who she had known most of her life, in her mother’s driveway before he was able to flee. Hernandez had attempted to strike Vargas with the bloodied bat; however, Vargas struggled the bat away and managed to hit Hernandez with it three times. Hernandez fled with a purse that belonged to Alvarado containing $350. According to police reports Alvarado was beaten beyond recognition. She was found with lacerations on her head, a broken nose and a depressed skull fracture. She had sustained eight blows to the head and suffered a massive subdural hemorrhage. The former barber was later arrested at his home in Slaton after he was found with bloodstains on his shirt, pants and shoes. Hernandez, who has been on death row for 11 years, was released on parole Jan. 1, 1988 after having been in and out of prison since 1978.During trial Hernandez did not contest to being guilty of murder, however his council argued that it was a “drunken murder” rather than a capital murder. Hernandez said he did not remember anything about the crime, and that he was in an “alcoholic blackout” at the time of the murder and therefore did not intentionally commit the murder.Hernandez, according to recent reports, said he remembers what happened and that he was a bystander and a black male committed the offense. Hernandez said he did not know the man who he claims committed the offense and has no explanation of the encounter with Vargas as he was fleeing her mother’s home. Hernandez is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. tonight. The execution will mark the fourth carried out in Texas this year.
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