A Texas inmate on death row was the first person to be executed in the United States in 2026. Charles Victor Thompson, 55, was scheduled to die on Wednesday (January 28), according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Thompson sought forgiveness from the surviving family members of his victims in his final words, reported by AP. Thompson‘s was the first execution scheduled in Texas and the first to take place in the United States this year. Per the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the state has three additional executions scheduled through the May 14, 2026 execution of Edward Busby.