Texas Death Row Inmate Set for Execution in 2005 Double Murder of Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend and Her Son

FORT WORTH, Texas (TCD) — A 55-year-old Texas man, Stephen Barbee, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection for the 2005 murders of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Barbee strangled 34-year-old Lisa Underwood and her son, Jayden, in their Fort Worth home, then buried their bodies in a shallow grave in Denton County. The victims were reported missing after they failed to show up for a baby shower.

Prosecutors said Barbee committed the killings to prevent his wife from discovering Underwood was pregnant, believing he was the father. However, DNA evidence later revealed Barbee was not the father of the unborn child.

Initially, Barbee told investigators he hadn’t seen Underwood in months but later confessed to the murders, though he later claimed the confession was coerced.

Barbee is set to be executed Wednesday, November 16, and remains on Texas death row. His attorneys are attempting to delay the execution, citing religious freedom concerns and alleged medical neglect that could affect the process.

If carried out, Barbee’s death will mark the fifth execution in Texas in 2022.