Texas death row inmate Larry Ray Swearingen maintains innocence until his execution

Larry Ray Swearingen was executed at 6:47 p.m. for the death of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter.

"Lord forgive them. They don't know what they are doing," he said in his last words.

Swearingen was sentenced to death in July 2000 for Trotter's abduction, rape and murder.

The Montgomery College student was last seen alive on December 8, 1998. Her body was found in the Sam Houston National Forest on January 2, 1999, with a pair of pantyhose tied around her neck.

Swearingen repeatedly challenged his conviction and sentence over the years, and his execution was postponed five times.

Over the years, his lawyers argued that the case against him was built on circumstantial evidence and questionable forensics.

Last week, he requested another stay based on two claims, according to court documents.

He argued that the state allowed "false and misleading" trial testimony regarding blood flecks found under Trotter's fingernails. He also claimed the state knew that a criminologist had "manufactured" evidence that the torn pantyhose used to strangle Trotter matched the pantyhose found at Swearingen's house.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied his request on August 16, saying it would not have made any difference to the outcome of his trial.

On Wednesday night, the Supreme Court turned down Swearingen's final appeal.

Swearingen nevertheless continued to maintain his innocence in an interview with the Houston Chronicle published Wednesday, and questioned if his scheduled execution would come to pass.

But the slain teen's mother told the Chronicle she is still convinced of his guilt.

"The overwhelming evidence is not just a coincidence," Sandy Trotter said. "There was a trial; he was found guilty, and they agreed on a sentence."

CNN's Sheena Jones contributed to this report.

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