Dallas man on Texas death row says execution next week would be for a double murder he ‘did not commit’

A North Texas mother is embarking on a fervent campaign to spare her son’s life.

Ivan Cantu, aged 50, is slated for execution in less than a week, having been found guilty of the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosqueda’s girlfriend Amy Kitchen in their Collin County residence in 2000.

Hailing from Dallas, Cantu was 28 years old when convicted and maintains his innocence adamantly.

“Upon reviewing the evidence, it becomes clear that I did not commit this crime,” Cantu asserted during a recent interview with Telemundo national.

Cantu’s conviction in 2001 has drawn national attention, propelled by the ‘Cousins by Blood’ podcast launched by Matt Duff in 2020. While Duff’s investigations don’t definitively exonerate Cantu, they highlight irregularities in his murder trial.

Sylvia Cantu, Ivan’s mother, spoke with NBC 5 from Livingston, where she and other supporters are organizing a rally to appeal for a stay of execution.

Cantu’s execution has been postponed twice before, in 2012 and 2023.

“Ivan deserves a fair trial,” Sylvia Cantu emphasized. “We possess newly discovered evidence that could have vindicated him 23 years ago.”

Cantu’s attorney, Gena Bunn, contends they’ve unearthed evidence challenging the credibility of the main prosecution witness, Cantu’s ex-fiancée Amy Boettcher, and casting doubt on his guilt.

Police records from Nov. 7, 2000, indicate that jeans and socks with blood drops from the victims were discovered in Cantu’s kitchen trash can. Boettcher informed authorities that Cantu had committed the murders. However, in 2022, Jeff Boettcher, Amy’s brother, recanted his testimony, asserting he had been under the influence of drugs and that the conversation never occurred.

“He recanted because it never happened,” Sylvia Cantu affirmed. “He didn’t want an innocent man to die because of false testimony.”

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis provided NBC 5 with a statement, maintaining his conviction that Cantu perpetrated the murders based on compelling evidence presented at trial, including DNA analysis, fingerprint identification, ballistic matching, and corroborative witness testimony.

Friday, Feb. 23 marks Sylvia Cantu’s birthday, as she clings to hope.

“All I desire for my birthday is Ivan, the only gift I want is him,” she expressed. “I yearn for the chance to reunite with my family and have Ivan home.”