San Antonio woman’s killer set to die Thursday

Convicted murderer Rodrigo Hernandez was headed to the Texas death chamber after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block his execution Thursday evening for the abduction, rape and strangulation of a 38-year-old woman in San Antonio 18 years ago.

The high court rejected a last-day appeal about two hours before Hernandez, 38, was set for lethal injection for the slaying of Susan Verstegen, an employee of snack maker Frito-Lay. She was attacked at a storage area behind a supermarket and her body was found dumped in a garbage barrel behind a San Antonio church.