Texas Inmates Who Spent Decades Waiting on Death Row

Texas is known for many things like incredible food, beautiful landscapes, big cities and plenty of history. Unfortunately, crime and violence are also part of the state's history.

Most of us hope we'll never personally encounter the people responsible for some of the state's most serious crimes. But the Texas prison system has housed thousands of inmates over the years, including people sentenced to death.

And some of those inmates have spent decades waiting on death row.

The amount of time between a death sentence and an execution can be lengthy because death-penalty cases involve extensive appeals and other legal proceedings.

In fact, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says the average time an executed inmate spent on death row was about 11 years, while the longest was more than 32 years.

READ MORE: Texas Man Receives Longest Prison Sentence: 4,060 Years

Why Do Texas Inmates Spend So Long on Death Row?

The state of Texas will not allow for crimes to go unpunished. The names and crimes listed below for people who have been on death row for over 25 years, all include the death of another person. We are talking about families that have lost a loved one, so there is a reason they are not enjoying their freedom.

The Long Wait on Texas Death Row

Here is a look at inmates in Texas prisons who have sat on death row for at least 25 years. These criminals have been convicted of horrible crimes as you can see below.