Ivan Abner Cantu (June 14, 1973 – February 28, 2024) was an American man from Dallas, Texas, convicted of the double murder of his cousin, James Mosqueda and Mosqueda's girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, who were shot in their home. The shooting occurred on November 4, 2000, in North Dallas. Cantu was found guilty by a Collin County jury on October 16, 2001. The evidence that was used in his conviction was later deemed to be questionable by his supporters, including the claims that one of the only two key prosecution witnesses had admitted he had lied. His case was championed by well-known anti-capital punishment campaigner Sister Helen Prejean and in a podcast by legal campaigner Matt Duff.[1]
Cantu maintained his innocence until he was executed at the Huntsville Unit on February 28, 2024. There were calls by politicians such as Joaquin Castro and his brother Julian Castro, celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Kim Kardashian and Martin Sheen, as well as organizations such as Amnesty International, for his case to be reviewed.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
In 2025, a 60-year-old Morgan Stanley project manager, also called Ivan Cantu, was reportedly suing Kim Kardashian. Kardashian, who had posted on Instagram about Cantu's execution at the time, had mistakenly used a photo of the wrong Ivan Cantu in her post. The project manager Cantu said in a statement on social media, "To all my friends and family, I am not getting executed. Some idiot who runs @kimkardashian used my picture instead of Ivan "Abner" Cantu." According to his lawyer, he has been in treatment since the incident happened and is suing Kardashian for libel, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, negligence, and representing him in a false light.[8]
See also
References
- ^ https://www.texasobserver.org/matt-duff-podcastings-new-poirot/
- ^ Linares, Albinson; Telemundo, Noticias (2024-02-29). "Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who denied killing 2 people". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ Killough, Dakin Andone, Ed Lavandera, Ashley (2024-02-28). "Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who claimed innocence in 2000 double murder". CNN. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Wagner, Bayliss. "Congressman, former jurors call for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to halt Ivan Cantu's execution". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ Melhado, William (2024-02-28). "Texas executes Ivan Cantu for Dallas murders despite doubts of his guilt". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ Miles, J. D.; Jenkins, S. E. (2024-02-28). "Convicted murderer Ivan Cantù executed in Texas". CBS News Texas. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "Texas executes Ivan Cantu for double murder despite protests of innocence". The Guardian. February 29, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Rohrlich, Justin (February 21, 2025). "Kim Kardashian sued by man she misidentified on Instagram as death row inmate". The Independent. Retrieved February 23, 2025.