Watkins explained that the backlash against Wilson’s execution inspired him to seek the death penalty in the Rodriguez case. Rodriguez, who allegedly possesses an extremely advanced understanding of chemistry, is accused of using poison to murder his younger sister, his mother and a classmate.

“If mental age is a determining factor in whether or not someone should be executed, as everyone claims in the case of Wilson, then we must look at Rodriguez not as an immature child, but as the cold-blooded adult killer that he is,” Watkins told the crowd of reporters who had gathered.

Rodriguez is, in fact, a highly gifted child who is given individual instruction in most subjects, as he is well above his fifth grade classmates. At the time of the murders, he was studying chemistry at a college level, and was able to use his knowledge of the subject to create the poisons he allegedly used to kill his victims.

“Rodriguez has an understanding of chemistry that far exceeds that of the average American adult, whose knowledge of the subject most likely begins and ends with the fact that H₂0 is water. His knowledge and mental capacity are clearly those of an adult, and so he should face the consequences of his actions as any adult would,” Watkins said.

Watkins, when asked to comment on the fact that the Supreme Court declared capital punishment of minors unconstitutional in 2005, said that “the Supreme Court’s decision still allows the individual states to determine the definition of a minor. Mentally, Rodriguez is clearly not a minor, so legally, in the state of Texas, he is not a minor.”

The trial is set to begin next Monday.