Opinion
No. 74,564
Delivered: May 21, 2003. Do Not Publish
On Direct Appeal from Travis County.
JOHNSON, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which KELLER, P.J., and MEYERS, PRICE, KEASLER, HERVEY, HOLCOMB, COCHRAN, J.J., joined. WOMACK J., did not participate.
OPINION
Appellant was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. We affirmed the judgment and sentence. Elliott v. State, 858 S.W.2d 478 (Tex.Crim.App.), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 997 (1993). The trial court set appellant's execution date for February 4, 2003. On February 3, 2003 the trial court denied appellant's motion for DNA testing of evidence pursuant to Chapter 64 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. On February 4, 2003, we denied appellant's motion for stay of execution pending, among other things, appeal of the denial of his request for DNA testing. Appellant's execution was carried out on February 4, 2003. On February 5, 2003, we received his appeal from the denial of appellant's motion for post-conviction DNA testing of evidence. The death of an appellant during the pendency of an appeal deprives this Court of jurisdiction. Freeman v. State, 11 S.W.3d 240 (Tex.Crim.App. 2000); Graham v. State, 991 S.W.2d 802 (Tex.Crim.App. 1998). Accordingly, we permanently abate appellant's appeal. Whitmire v. State, 943 S.W.2d 894 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997); Rheinlander v. State, 918 S.W.2d 527 (Tex.Crim.App. 1996); Vargas v. State, 659 S.W.2d 422 (Tex.Crim.App. 1983).