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Oklahoma executed Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, on Thursday for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend in 2003. 

Cuesta-Rodriguez shot Olimpia Fisher once through her right eye and watched her suffer before shooting her again in her left eye. Police were outside the house the couple shared in Oklahoma City but could not ‌get inside because of metal burglary bars covering the entrance. 

Before his execution, Cuesta-Rodriguez told his family he loved them but declined to give a final statement, according to media witnesses. The lethal drugs were administered at 10:02 a.m. Medical staff pronounced him dead at 10:13 a.m.

Prosecutors said Cuesta-Rodriguez abused Fisher. Cuesta-Rodriguez accused Fisher of cheating on him and had previously threatened to kill her, according to prosecutors. Fisher was planning to leave the night he shot her. She decided at the last minute to stay, telling her daughter that it was her home and that Cuesta-Rodriguez should leave instead.

Cuesta-Rodriguez’s attorneys said he had a troubled upbringing at his clemency hearing in July. He told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board that he didn’t want or deserve mercy. The board voted 3-1 against recommending clemency. 

Cuesta-Rodriguez’s family and friends issued a statement after his execution, describing his life as one of “extraordinary beauty and tenderness within the darkest of conditions.”

“He was a different man from the one who committed his horrible crime — remorseful every single day, burdened by the weight of what he had done — but defined by decades of living humbly, gently, and with unwavering love and devotion to his family and to inmates far worse off than himself,” the statement said. 

For his last meal, Cuesta-Rodriguez requested ‌a Cuban sandwich, rocky road ice cream, and donuts. He also asked for a bottle of water. 

Justin Farris, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, described the execution as “unremarkable.” 

Nolan Clay, a reporter with The Oklahoman, said he witnessed Cuesta-Rodriguez having labored breathing. Farris said the labored breathing might have been caused by sleep apnea. 

Fisher’s family chose not to attend the execution. Amie Ely, First Assistant Attorney General, read a statement from Fisher’s daughters, Cinthya Allen and Katya Wallis, who said their faith in Jesus has allowed them to forgive. 

“We hope this tragedy and loss reminds everyone of the importance of domestic violence awareness,” the statement said. “We will always be thankful to the law enforcement and justice teams who have supported us through this journey.”