Texan executed for rape, murder of elderly woman

   HUNTSVILLE, Texas, Sept 10  - A man convicted of  raping and beating to death a 66-year-old woman was executed by lethal  injection on Tuesday in a Texas prison

 Tony Walker, 36, was the 24th person put to death this year in Texas,  which leads the nation in capital punishment. Another four Texas inmates are  scheduled to die this month

 Walker was condemned for raping and murdering Virginia Simmons at her  home in the northeastern Texas town of Daingerfield on May 23, 1992. He  confessed to killing her husband, 82-year-old Willie "Bo" Simmons in the  same attack, but was not prosecuted for the murder

 Walker, who lived nearby and knew the victims, told police he went to  their home under the pretense of having a beer, when his real intent was to  steal money so he could buy cocaine. He beat both of them to death with a  board and a cane, sexually assaulted Mrs. Simmons before and after killing  her and took cash from Mr

 Simmons' wallet

 In a written statement, Walker apologized for the crime

 "I wish to tell the family how sorry I am about what I done. I know that  nothing I say will bring Mr. and Mrs. Bo Simmons back." For his last  meal, Walker requested french fries, five pieces of fried chicken and three  Dr. Peppers

 He was the 280th person executed in Texas since the state resumed  capital punishment in 1982, six years the Supreme Court lifted a four-year  national ban on the death penalty

 Texas' next execution is set for Sept. 17, when Jessie Patrick was  scheduled to receive a lethal injection for raping and killing an  80-year-old woman in 1989