Vaughn Ross (September 4, 1971 – July 18, 2013) was a Texas murderer. He was a graduate student at Texas Tech University before being convicted for the January 31, 2001, murders of Douglas Birdsall, 53, and Viola Ross McVade, 18, in Lubbock County, Texas. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Background

Viola was the sister of Ross's girlfriend. Douglas Birdsall had been the associate dean at the Texas Tech library. Ross shot both victims. Later the same day, a mountain biker came across the murder scene and found both Douglas's and Viola's bodies in a car. ^[5] DNA on a latex glove found in Birdsall's car and a sweatshirt Vaughn was wearing had blood of Douglas Birdsall; these were two things that linked Ross to the double murder. ^[5] In 2002, Ross was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection by a jury. ^[6]

Ross received attention in Sweden after he agreed to be part of a special theme week about the death penalty in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. ^[7] Aftonbladet covered his case and his last week alive before his execution and reported live from outside the prison on the day of the execution. ^[8]

Ross left a final statement before being executed which was revealed to Aftonbladet reporter Carina Bergfeldt. ^[1] He is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.

See also

• Capital punishment in Texas
• List of people executed in Texas, 2010–2019
• List of people executed in the United States in 2013

References