Juan Martin Garcia, a 35-year-old man of Salvadoran descent, was executed on October 6, 2015, for the capital murder of Hugo Solano, a 36-year-old Christian missionary from Guadalajara, Mexico. The killing took place after an attempted robbery in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Houston, Texas, on September 17, 1998. Solano was shot three times by Garcia after he refused to hand over his wallet; the group of assailants escaped with only $8.

Garcia was arrested 11 days later during a traffic stop when officers found the murder weapon and he subsequently confessed. His criminal history included assault, a terroristic threat toward a teacher, theft, trespassing, gang membership, several aggravated robberies, and two attempted murders in the weeks surrounding Solano’s death. At trial his lawyers argued ineffective counsel and intellectual disability; those challenges and his clemency request were denied. Before his execution at the Huntsville Unit, Garcia apologized to Solano’s widow and daughter.

Does anyone have memories of Hugo Solano or information about the 1998 case that could add context to his life and the events that led to the murder?