Charles Victor Thompson was executed in Texas for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and her new partner, becoming the first person executed in the USA in 2026.

Charles Victor Thompson, at the age of 55, was executed in Texas by lethal injection, becoming the first person executed in the United States in 2026. Thompson was convicted for the murder of his former girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, and her new partner, Darren Keith Cain, in April 1998. In his last words, he asked for forgiveness from the victims' families and emphasized that his execution would create more victims. The incident occurred after an argument in Hayslip's apartment, and Thompson returned and opened fire, killing both of them. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal without explanation, and his lawyers argued that Hayslip died due to medical negligence, not from the injuries caused by Thompson. However, the jury decided that Thompson was responsible for her death. Thompson also managed to escape from prison in 2005 but was later caught. Texas remains the state with the most executions, with the next one scheduled for February 10, 2026.