Death Row Inmate’s Unsettling Last Wish Sparks Chilling Questions Days Before Execution
So here’s a twist on the usual clemency plea drama: Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, scheduled for lethal injection on August 13, didn’t come begging for mercy—he outright declined it. Convicted back in 2003 for the grim shooting of his common-law wife, Olimpia Fisher, in Oklahoma City, Cuesta-Rodriguez used his final month on death row not to soften his sentence but to speak directly to Fisher’s daughters. Imagine that—the usual desperate appeal flipped on its head, replaced by a somber confession and a desire to “leave in peace.” It raises a gnarly question: When remorse is acknowledged but forgiveness isn’t sought, what does justice even mean? Dive in as we unpack a case where past horrors collide with rare moments of raw humanity—and a parole board’s tough call to make.
On Thursday 13 August, Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez is set to be executed by lethal injection.
He was convicted of killing Olimpia Fisher in 2003, his common-law wife, who he shot in the eyes during a fight in their home in Oklahoma City, US.
And in his final month of serving on death row, the 70-year-old made a unique request at a clemency hearing before the Pardon and Parole Board at Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
Typically, this is a formal proceeding where a prisoner has the opportunity to ask for a reduced sentence, delayed punishment or forgiveness.
However, Cuesta-Rodriguez pretty much used it as an opportunity to do the opposite and instead to communicate with the daughters of Fisher. He told the board in July that he didn’t ‘want any clemency’.
He shot Fisher in each eye. (Office of Oklahoma Attorney General)
Having said in English that he didn’t ‘want any mercy’, the inmate addressed both the board and Fisher’s family in Spanish with a translator beside him.
“I know that nothing I say will be enough to erase your pain, to offer some kind of comfort or get her back,” Cuesta-Rodriguez read from a statement.
“But I do want to tell you that I regret it and I am truly remorseful from the bottom of my heart.
“My time has come, and I want to leave, and I want to leave in peace.
“…And if I am forgiven someday, well, I will be forgiven. But it’s time for me to pay for what I did.”
He told the board he is filled with remorse as he said he is ‘suffering’ and described himself as a ‘broken man’.
Chair of the board, Robert Reavis II, said per Oklahoma Voice that he was ‘somewhat inclined’ to vote for clemency but chose otherwise after hearing from Cuesta-Rodriguez.
His attorney Emma Roles, told the parole board he had endured trauma, leaving him with PTSD, depression and other health issues that weren’t introduced during his trial.
Cuesta-Rodriguez’s attorneys also presented testimony that he has changed during his time inside.
He is scheduled to be executed on Thursday. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections)
Attorneys for the state argued his mental health issues were self-issues and examinations hadn’t been administered reliably.
It was said Cuesta-Rodriguez had a history of abuse and stalked Fisher before killing her, by shooting her through one eye and then again in the other minutes later.
“He made her suffer and her final moments were hell,” Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said during the clemency hearing.
Her daughter, Katya Wallis, witnessed the first shot – 18 at the time.
“Carlos chose to take my mother’s life,” she said at the hearing in July.
“He didn’t just hurt her. He hurt all of us who knew her, who loved her, who needed her. He took a great person who did not deserve to die.”
Wallis also questioned the sincerity of Cuesta-Rodriguez’s apology as she said: “I believe it’s a facade. I know him. I lived with him.”
The board voted 3-1 against recommending clemency for the man.
Cuesta-Rodriguez is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on 13 August at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
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