A Texas man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend died by lethal injection Wednesday evening, marking the first U.S. execution of the year.

Charles Victor Thompson, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. local time after receiving the injection at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Huntsville Unit. He was found guilty in the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at the woman’s Houston-area apartment.

Before the lethal dose was administered, Thompson asked the families of his victims for forgiveness, adding that he hoped “you can begin to heal and move past this.”

“There are no winners in this situation,” he said after a spiritual adviser prayed over him, adding that his execution “creates more victims and traumatizes more people 28 years later.”

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“I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for what happened, and I want to tell all of y’all, I love you and that … keep Jesus in your life, keep Jesus first,” he said in his final words.

Thompson gasped loudly as the injection began taking effect, according to The Associated Press, before taking about a dozen breaths that turned into snoring sounds. He then stopped moving and was pronounced dead about 22 minutes later.

After witnessing the execution, Dennis Cain, whose son was killed by Thompson, said, “He’s in hell.”

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Harris County District Attorney Sean Tear, whose office prosecuted the case, said, “This chapter is closed.”

“It was justice a long time coming,” he added.

On the night of the murders, Thompson visited Hayslip’s apartment at 3 a.m. and got into an argument with Cain, according to court records. Thompson was told to leave the complex after police were called, but returned three hours later and shot the couple.

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Cain died at the scene, while Hayslip died one week later.

Thompson’s original death sentence was later overturned, but a jury again sentenced him to die by lethal injection following a new punishment trial in November 2005.

Not long after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris County Jail in Houston and spent three days on the run before being caught.

He was arrested in Louisiana while trying to set up overseas wire transfers in an apparent attempt to flee to Canada.

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About an hour before the scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a brief order rejecting a final appeal from Thompson. Earlier this week, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Thompson’s request to commute his death sentence to a lesser penalty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A second teenage girl has died in Texas after she was critically injured in a sledding accident that killed her best friend, according to their families and local police.

Frisco police confirmed Wednesday that the second 16-year-old girl died of her injuries at a hospital.

The teen’s family identified her as Grace Brito. The other teen killed was earlier identified as Elizabeth Angle by her family.

Grace’s mother, Tracy Brito, told FOX4 Dallas-Fort Worth that her daughter just got her driver’s license two months ago and had been excited to sign up as an organ donor.

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“We are still here going through the organ donation process to honor Gracie’s wishes,” Tracy Brito told the outlet. “She was a selfless person who always wanted to make others smile and happy. God took a good one away far too soon.”

Elizabeth’s mother, Megan Angle, wrote that the girls were “besties” in a Facebook post after Grace’s death.

“I find some comfort knowing they are in heaven together,” Megan Angle wrote. “Such beautiful girls.”

“They were holding on to each other on the sled,” she added. “Our hearts go out to the Brito family. We are forever connected.”

Grace and Elizabeth were riding a sled together around 3 p.m. Sunday when the accident happened.

Police previously said that a preliminary investigation indicated that a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler while pulling the two girls on a sled. Witnesses said the sled struck a curb and collided with a tree.

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Police issued an update Wednesday to quell rumors about the circumstances of the accident.

“We also want to clarify rumors circulating online, throughout this entire investigation, there has been no indication of alcohol involvement by any of the involved parties,” police said.

Both girls were sophomores at Wakeland High School. Grace was a cheerleader while Elizabeth played soccer for the school and a club team.

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Police have said the investigation remains active. The department warned citizens that snow and ice can create extremely slippery surfaces and lead to serious or even deadly accidents.

A winter storm brought heavy snow and crippling ice to large swaths of the nation, including Texas, over the weekend. Most areas in North Texas were covered in ice, sleet and snow, creating hazardous conditions.

A staff member of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church who “possessed a beautiful spirit” was among the six people killed in a private jet crash in Maine earlier this week, according to the church. 

The Houston, Texas-based church told The Christian Post that Shawna Collins “was traveling for personal business outside of Lakewood” at the time of the accident Sunday night. The Paris-bound Bombardier Challenger 600 jet had stopped to refuel during light snow, mild winds and near-zero temperatures as a massive winter storm began to reach Bangor, Maine. It then flipped and caught fire during departure. 

“We can confirm with great sadness that a beloved member of our church staff and treasured friend, Shawna Collins, was on the plane that crashed in Maine on Sunday evening,” Lakewood Church told The Christian Post. 

“She was a light that brightened our days, and she possessed a beautiful spirit that lifted everyone she met. We loved Shawna dearly, and we will miss her more than words can express. We pray for her entire family and offer them our love and support during this difficult time,” it added. 

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The jet was registered to a partner of personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers in Houston. Tara Arnold, an attorney at the firm and wife of founding partner Kurt Arnold, and Hawaii-based chef Nick Mastrascusa were also killed in the crash, according to reports.  

Mastrascusa reportedly worked for Beyond, a luxury travel company founded by the Arnolds. Beyond’s website also lists Shawna Collins as being its “luxury event designer and experience curator.” 

The director of Bangor International Airport said Wednesday that the federal investigation into the crash has been hampered by extreme weather, including deep snow that has blanketed the scene and covered the burned wreckage.

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The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration joined state and local authorities at the scene and recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis. The state medical examiner’s office also was there to remove the bodies of the victims and formally identify them. The airport will remain closed until at least 9 a.m. Thursday, director Jose Saavedra said, according to The Associated Press. 

Prior to the jet’s departure, another plane had just aborted takeoff, radioing to the tower that they chose not to fly because visibility wasn’t great and they would need more de-icing, the AP also reported. 

The snow would eventually accumulate to about 9.5 inches, but it was only beginning at the time of the crash.

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The Bombardier Challenger 600 had gone through a standard de-icing process before proceeding to the runway, Saavedra said. 

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.