MICHAEL ADAM SIGALA (EXECUTED ON MARCH 2, 2010 IN TEXAS)

            On this date, March 2, 2010, Michael Adam Sigala was executed by lethal injection in Texas for the murders of a Hispanic American Brazilian couple, Kleber and Lillian Dos Santos on August 22, 2000. We are happy that justice was served for the relatives. We got the information from clarkprosecutor.org.

Michael Adam Sigala

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Executed Offenders (Sigala)
Sigala, Michael Adam
Date of Birth: 12/11/1977
DR#: 999397
Date Received: 10/29/2001
Education: 10 years
Occupation: Laborer
Date of Offense: 08/22/2000
County of Offense: Collin
Native County: Tarrant
Race: Hispanic
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 213
Prior Prison Record: None

Summary of incident: On 8/22/2000 in Plano, Sigala shot and killed a 27 year old Hispanic male, then sexually assaulted his 25 year old Hispanic female wife before he shot and killed her. Sigala took several items of jewelry from the home of the victims and later pawned the stolen items.

Co-defendants: Sigala's accomplice was not charged. 

Texas Attorney General
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Media Advisory: Michael Sigala scheduled for execution 

AUSTIN –Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information concerning Michael Adam Sigala, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. A Texas jury sentenced Sigala to death in 2001 for the murder of Kleber Dos Santos. 

FACTS OF THE CRIME

On August 22, 2000, Sigala unlawfully entered the Plano apartment of Kleber and Lilian Dos Santos and shot Kleber in the head. He then tortured Lilian and then shot her twice in the head after apparently forcing her to remove her clothes and binding her hands and neck with telephone cords. After the murders, Sigala ransacked the apartment and took the Santos’ wedding rings and several other items. 

Police arrested Sigala two months later after several of the stolen items were recovered from various shops and traced back to him. Sigala confessed to killing Kleber, ejaculating as Lilian lay on the bed, and stealing the couple’s rings. Testing of the semen discovered on the floor next to the bed revealed an “exact” DNA match to Sigala. 

EVIDENCE OF FUTURE DANGEROUSNESS

During the penalty phase of Sigala’s trial, the State presented evidence of Sigala’s lengthy criminal history, which included juvenile delinquency, three convictions for theft, a misdemeanor conviction for marijuana possession, an arrest for burglary after a home invasion, and a conviction for robbery. Over three to four years, Sigala stole videos from retail stores and sold them for drugs and visits to topless bars. 

Sigala believed that women wanted sadomasochistic sex. He told his mother that he was a sociopath; he found it funny when others were in pain; and he had no remorse for killing Kleber. According to an FBI agent, Sigala was “a member of a unique, particularly vicious subclass of offenders that are dangerous, but also represent a continuing threat to the community.” The FBI agent observed that Sigala had rehearsed the crime, was comfortable at the crime scene, and enjoyed a sense of accomplishment afterwards. 

A psychiatrist testified for the state that Sigala suffered from antisocial personality disorder, which indicated that he would commit violent acts in the future. 

PROCEDURAL HISTORY
08/22/00 - Sigala killed Kleber and Lilian Dos Santos.
10/08/01 - A Collin County jury convicted Sigala of capital murder.
10/15/01 - A Collin County state district court officially sentenced Sigala to death.
09/19/03 - Sigala filed an original application for a state writ of habeas corpus.
01/14/04 - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Sigala’s conviction and sentence.
06/14/04 - The U.S. Supreme Court denied Sigala’s petition for a writ of certiorari.
08/31/05 - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied state habeas relief.
08/25/06 - Sigala filed a petition for a federal writ of habeas corpus.
03/28/08 - A U.S. district court denied habeas relief and issued final judgment.
07/20/09 - Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of habeas relief.
09/15/09 - The trial court scheduled Sigala’s execution for Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
11/05/09 - Sigala filed a petition for certiorari review with the U.S. Supreme Court.
02/22/10 -Sigala’s petition for certiorari review was denied by the Supreme Court.

QUOTE: Relatives of Kleber Santos and his wife, Lilian, did not speak with reporters afterward, but the parents of both victims issued statements saying they were grateful justice had been done. “For many people facing such tragedy, life would be worthless. For us, however, we have faith and we find meaning in an eternal life that our merciful God will provide us. We really believe that we will meet our dear son and daughter-in-law one day in heaven,” Jonas and Lizete Santos, Kleber Santos’ parents, said in their statement.

AUTHOR: Relatives of Kleber Santos and his wife, Lilian Two couples who were murdered by Michael Adam Sigala on August 22, 2000. He was executed by the state of Texas on March 2, 2010.