Kayla Guo

The hearing room was really tense. You know, I didn't even want to type for fear of, you know, making too much noise and sort of interrupting the moment.

The hearing room was really tense. You know, I didn't even want to type for fear of, you know, making too much noise and sort of interrupting the moment.

But he said that in the years after, he had always had this nagging feeling that this wasn't a slam dunk, and if you're going to send someone to death, it better be a slam dunk. It better be, you know, completely clear, no doubts whatsoever.

But he said that in the years after, he had always had this nagging feeling that this wasn't a slam dunk, and if you're going to send someone to death, it better be a slam dunk. It better be, you know, completely clear, no doubts whatsoever.

I had not been prepared for this hearing to last so long. Again, going into the hearing, it had felt remarkable because it was the legislature making some really loud noise about this case that was not really within their jurisdiction. The statehouse doesn't get to say what happens in a criminal case. And so I'd gone in not thinking it would last this long. Don't think I had a laptop charger.

I had not been prepared for this hearing to last so long. Again, going into the hearing, it had felt remarkable because it was the legislature making some really loud noise about this case that was not really within their jurisdiction. The statehouse doesn't get to say what happens in a criminal case. And so I'd gone in not thinking it would last this long. Don't think I had a laptop charger.

One of my coworkers had to bring me a granola bar at one point. So it was running on very little by the end of this hearing. It had mostly emptied. I was one of the few reporters who was still in there. I had already messaged my editor saying I was about to file the story I had written for the night and that the hearing was wrapping up.

One of my coworkers had to bring me a granola bar at one point. So it was running on very little by the end of this hearing. It had mostly emptied. I was one of the few reporters who was still in there. I had already messaged my editor saying I was about to file the story I had written for the night and that the hearing was wrapping up.

Absolutely. I think there was... I mean, the lawmakers really got creative in issuing this, and it had never been pulled before, so no one could say what it meant or what it would do. The governor, the attorney general, they all saw it as a massive overreach by this committee to try to do this.

Absolutely. I think there was... I mean, the lawmakers really got creative in issuing this, and it had never been pulled before, so no one could say what it meant or what it would do. The governor, the attorney general, they all saw it as a massive overreach by this committee to try to do this.

By the time we wrapped up all of our coverage and the story that I had written for that night and the other story I had written for the morning, I probably went to sleep around 1 a.m. and woke up not really knowing what to expect. And we wanted to be prepared for whatever may happen. So I actually spent the day of his execution writing up his obituary.

By the time we wrapped up all of our coverage and the story that I had written for that night and the other story I had written for the morning, I probably went to sleep around 1 a.m. and woke up not really knowing what to expect. And we wanted to be prepared for whatever may happen. So I actually spent the day of his execution writing up his obituary.

I mean, throughout the day, it was such a roller coaster. And when the clock struck 6 p.m., we knew that he could be executed at any moment. And, you know, it was never clear whether or not that would happen that night.

I mean, throughout the day, it was such a roller coaster. And when the clock struck 6 p.m., we knew that he could be executed at any moment. And, you know, it was never clear whether or not that would happen that night.

All the preparations are moving forward. Two Texas lawmakers went to where Texas executes its prisoners. They went to that prison and were ready to be there in the room watching if or when this execution moved forward. They had prepped Robert Robertson for it. There were people outside the prison, protesters. Everyone was set up, believing this could very well happen that night.

All the preparations are moving forward. Two Texas lawmakers went to where Texas executes its prisoners. They went to that prison and were ready to be there in the room watching if or when this execution moved forward. They had prepped Robert Robertson for it. There were people outside the prison, protesters. Everyone was set up, believing this could very well happen that night.

I see it first on X because they tweet out their opinions or announcements like that.

I see it first on X because they tweet out their opinions or announcements like that.

The Texas Supreme Court said they're doing another unprecedented thing, which was the Texas Supreme Court is issuing the stay of Roberts' execution to give it time to consider the separation of powers issue that the subpoena had caused. And so there was just this big sense of relief in that moment, but also this sense of, okay, what comes next? Did Robert Robertson start preparing to testify?

The Texas Supreme Court said they're doing another unprecedented thing, which was the Texas Supreme Court is issuing the stay of Roberts' execution to give it time to consider the separation of powers issue that the subpoena had caused. And so there was just this big sense of relief in that moment, but also this sense of, okay, what comes next? Did Robert Robertson start preparing to testify?