# Reinaldo Dennes

> Dennes was sentenced to death for the capital murder of Janos Szucs, a diamond dealer who was shot and robbed in his Houston office in January 1996; a security guard was shot twice and survived. His appeals ended in 2020. Texas has set his execution for Nov. 19, 2026.

- Case: State of Texas v. Dennes · Harris County, Texas · 1996
- Case status: Execution scheduled. His death sentence is in force, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists his execution for Nov. 19, 2026. The sources reviewed, through Oct. 24, 2026, report no pending appeal, no stay and no clemency application.
- Last updated: 2026-10-24
- Editorial review: approved 2026-10-25
- Web page: https://criminalbackstories.com/cases/reinaldo-dennes/
- All defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of law. Charges and allegations described on this site are not proof of guilt.

## Why he's in the news

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists Dennes's execution for Nov. 19, 2026, a week after the execution it has scheduled for John Rubio; they are the only two executions the state has scheduled.[7][11] A Harris County judge set the date on Aug. 14, 2026, after prosecutors filed for an execution order in June, ABC13 reported.[10] The U.S. Supreme Court's denial of review in December 2020 ended his regular appeals.[5][10] Death Penalty Action, an advocacy group, has asked Gov. Greg Abbott and the Board of Pardons and Paroles to stop the execution.[12] *The sources reviewed, through Oct. 24, 2026, report no new court filing, no ruling and no clemency application in his case.*

## Case at a glance

- Conviction: Capital murder, committed in the course of a robbery[3][6][2]
- Victim: Janos Szucs, a diamond dealer, killed Jan. 24, 1996, in his office in Houston's Greenrich Building[2][3]
- Also shot: David Copeland, the building's security guard, who survived[2][4]
- Age at offense: 39[6]
- Sentence: Death, Sept. 4, 1997[2][3]
- Direct appeal: *Dennes v. State*, No. 72,966 (Tex. Crim. App. Jan. 5, 2000) (not designated for publication), affirmed[1][2]
- State habeas: *Ex parte Dennes*, No. WR-34,627-02, denied Dec. 18, 2013[2][3]
- Federal habeas: Denied by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on March 22, 2017; affirmed by the Fifth Circuit on Jan. 6, 2020; the Supreme Court denied review on Dec. 7, 2020[2][5]
- Time in custody: On Texas death row since Dec. 18, 1997[6]
- Scheduled execution: Nov. 19, 2026[7][10]

## The backstory

### Background

Janos Szucs was a wholesale diamond dealer with an office in the Greenrich Building in Houston.[2][3] Dennes, then 39, also had an office in the building, where he did jewelry consignment and lathe work, according to his lawyers.[6][3] ABC13 reported that Dennes and his brother were both in the diamond business, worked in the building and had been in Szucs's office before.[10]

According to the Court of Criminal Appeals' account, as quoted by the state, Antonio Ramirez came from Ecuador in December 1995 to work for Dennes making watch bezels and then built him a silencer.[4][2] Ramirez testified that Dennes paid him for the parts and invited him to join a robbery of a jewelry dealer.[3] Dennes, his brother Alberto and Ramirez tested the silencer in a field, the state wrote; Ramirez agreed to take part but returned to South America two days later.[4]

### The killing

Estrella Martinez, with whom Dennes had a romantic relationship, worked as a cleaner in the building.[2][4] She testified that she opened a back door to let the men in, distracted the security guard, and received a cell phone and $5,000.[3] The jury was told she was an accomplice as a matter of law.[3] According to the Fifth Circuit, Martinez recognized one of the men as Dennes "by his walk," though he was wearing a mustache and some sort of disguise.[2]

On Jan. 24, 1996, the building's security guard, David Copeland, was shot in the chest and again after he fell, and survived by "playing dead," according to the state's account of the record.[4][2] Copeland testified that just before he was shot, Dennes told him, "I have something I want to show you," ABC13 reported.[10] Copeland identified Dennes in a photo spread and a lineup, according to Dennes's lawyers, who note that a defense lawyer testified that Copeland did not identify him at the lineup.[3]

Szucs's wife called police that night when he did not come home, and officers found him shot dead in his office, ABC13 reported.[10] A medical examiner testified that he died of multiple gunshot wounds.[3] His diamond inventory, worth more than $3.6 million, about $200,000 in cash and a five-carat pinky ring were missing.[2] His wife testified that he was wearing the ring that morning when she took him to work.[2] The ring was never recovered, the state wrote, and ABC13 reported that the diamonds have never been found.[4][10]

### The evidence

A search of Dennes's office found a broken-down lathe, a fired 9 mm bullet and a Taurus owner's manual.[4][2] A state firearms examiner testified that bullets from Szucs's body, from Dennes's office, from the lobby and from the field where the silencer was tested came from the same gun; a defense expert could not confirm that.[2][4][3] Dennes did not testify at either phase of the trial.[3]

### The trial

Testimony began on Aug. 18, 1997.[2] The jury convicted Dennes of capital murder, and he was sentenced to death on Sept. 4, 1997.[2][3] The Texas Department of Criminal Justice summarizes the case as "Dennes murdered and robbed" the victim in his office.[6]

### Why the jury chose death

Texas law does not list statutory aggravating circumstances. A death sentence follows from a capital-murder conviction, here for a murder committed during a robbery, together with the jury's answers to special issues.[3][8][9] The Fifth Circuit noted that evidence at the punishment phase "contributed to the jury's findings" that Dennes would probably commit acts of criminal violence constituting a continuing threat to society, and that he caused and intended Szucs's death or anticipated that a life would be taken.[2] For offenses committed after Sept. 1, 1991, the jury must also decide whether mitigating circumstances warrant a life sentence; according to his lawyers, the jury answered "the special issues consistent with him receiving a death sentence."[9][3]

At the punishment phase, the state called David Balderas, who testified that Dennes asked him in October 1995 to help rob a diamond courier, according to Dennes's lawyers.[3] Balderas said he recruited two men to carry it out, and the Fifth Circuit wrote that on Nov. 15, 1995, they mistakenly invaded the home of another family, terrorized the family and took property.[3][2] On cross-examination, Balderas was impeached with his hope of avoiding charges.[4] *The court records reviewed do not describe the mitigation evidence the defense presented.*

### The direct appeal

After the verdict, Dennes moved for a new trial, arguing that prosecutors had withheld information about Balderas's work as an informant. The trial court held a hearing in November 1997 and denied the motion.[3][4] On appeal he argued that the state suppressed Balderas's contract with the Houston Police Department and evidence of dismissed charges.[4] On Jan. 5, 2000, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed in an unpublished opinion by Judge Price; Judges Keller and Womack concurred in the result.[1][2]

### State habeas

On Dec. 18, 2013, the Court of Criminal Appeals denied his state habeas application, relying on the trial court's findings and conclusions.[2] According to his lawyers, the trial court had adopted the state's proposed findings verbatim.[3]

### Federal habeas

Dennes raised 33 grounds in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which denied all relief on March 22, 2017.[2] His lawyers say federal counsel obtained, in 2015, a letter from the lead homicide investigator to prosecutors and a transcript of Balderas's 1999 federal sentencing, at which Balderas's own lawyer said he had been a Houston police informant since 1989.[3]

The Fifth Circuit agreed to hear three issues about Balderas and, on Jan. 6, 2020, affirmed the denial of relief in an unpublished opinion by Judge Edith H. Jones.[2] It held that Balderas's contract with Harris County covered unrelated offenses and was completed before trial, so it gave him no motive to lie. It held that the evidence of ongoing informant work had never been presented to the state courts and could not be considered, and that it was in any event cumulative: "Balderas's conflict of interest had already been made glaringly obvious to the jury," the court wrote.[2] It found his claims of false testimony largely unsupported by the record, and it refused to hear his claims about jury selection.[2] The U.S. Supreme Court denied review on Dec. 7, 2020.[5]

### The 2026 execution date

According to ABC13, prosecutors filed a notice of execution order, an execution order and a death warrant in June 2026, and Dennes was brought back to Harris County from death row on a bench warrant in July.[10] On Aug. 14, 2026, a judge set the execution for Nov. 19, 2026, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.[10] The Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists the date.[7]

## Personal backstory

### Early life

Dennes was born on Feb. 9, 1956, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice records 12th grade as his highest grade completed.[6] Death Penalty Action, which opposes his execution, describes him as an immigrant from Cuba.[12] *The sources reviewed do not say when he came to the United States or describe his childhood.*

### Family

Death Penalty Action says he was married with three children.[12] His brother, Alberto, is named in the Fifth Circuit's account of the crime.[2] *The sources reviewed do not say whether his brother was tried.*

### Life before the crime

The prison system lists his prior occupation as jewelry designer and records no prior prison term.[6] Death Penalty Action describes him as a tae kwon do enthusiast and says a cycle of substance abuse contributed in part to his offenses.[12] *The court records reviewed contain no testimony or finding about his mental health or substance use.*

### Life on death row

The prison system records that Dennes was received on death row on Dec. 18, 1997.[6] He is 70.[6][10] *The sources reviewed contain no statement from Dennes since his execution date was set.*

## Aggravating circumstances found

- Tex. Penal Code § 19.03(a)(2): Murder in the course of robbery. Texas does not use statutory aggravating circumstances; a death sentence requires a capital-murder conviction and the jury's answers to special issues. Dennes was charged with capital murder committed during a robbery. Subsection (a)(2) covers a person who "intentionally commits the murder in the course of committing or attempting to commit" robbery, among other offenses. The court records reviewed do not cite the subsection by number.
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 37.071, § 2(b)(1): Special issue (future dangerousness), answered so as to require death: "whether there is a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society." The Fifth Circuit noted the jury's finding that it was probable that Dennes "would commit acts of criminal violence constituting a continuing threat to society."
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 37.071, § 2(b)(2): Special issue, answered so as to require death: whether the defendant "actually caused the death of the deceased" or intended to kill or "anticipated that a human life would be taken." The Fifth Circuit noted the jury's finding that Dennes "caused and intended Szuc's death or anticipated that a human life would be taken."
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 37.071, § 2(e)(1): Special issue (mitigation), which applies to offenses committed on or after Sept. 1, 1991: whether there is "a sufficient mitigating circumstance or circumstances" to warrant a life sentence rather than death. The court records reviewed do not describe the jury's answer separately; his lawyers wrote that the jury "answered the special issues consistent with him receiving a death sentence."

## Where the parties stand

- State: Don Smyth, a retired prosecutor, told ABC13 in August 2026 that the killing was "just cold-blooded" and "kind of an inside job," and said, "I don't know how the state of Texas could have presented a better case without a confession."[10] The Harris County District Attorney's Office said that cases "can take many years, even decades, to reach this point" and that it remains "committed to ensuring justice."[10] In the Supreme Court, the Texas attorney general's office argued that his claim failed on materiality and that the petition "presents no important question of federal law."[4]
- Defense: On appeal and in habeas, his lawyers argued that prosecutors hid that David Balderas, a key punishment-phase witness, was a longtime police informant, and let false testimony from him stand uncorrected; the Fifth Circuit rejected those claims.[3][2] An attorney for Dennes declined to comment to ABC13 when the date was set.[10] A petition by Death Penalty Action argues that he has spent decades reflecting on his choices and rehabilitating himself.[12]
- Victim's family: *The sources reviewed contain no statement from Szucs's family about the execution.*[10]

## Timeline

- Feb. 9, 1956: Dennes is born.[6]
- November 1995: Men recruited through David Balderas to rob a diamond courier invade the wrong home; the state later presents the robbery as evidence that Dennes organized it.[2][3]
- Jan. 24, 1996: Janos Szucs is shot and killed in his office in the Greenrich Building; security guard David Copeland is shot and survives.[2]
- Aug. 18, 1997: Testimony begins at his trial in Harris County.[2]
- Sept. 4, 1997: After the jury convicts him of capital murder and answers the special issues, he is sentenced to death.[2][3]
- November 1997: After a hearing on his claim that prosecutors withheld evidence about Balderas, the trial court denies a new trial.[3][4]
- Jan. 5, 2000: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirms.[1][2]
- Dec. 18, 2013: The Court of Criminal Appeals denies state habeas relief.[2][3]
- Mar. 22, 2017: A federal district court denies all 33 of his habeas claims.[2]
- Jan. 6, 2020: The Fifth Circuit affirms.[2]
- Dec. 7, 2020: The U.S. Supreme Court denies review.[5]
- Aug. 14, 2026: A Harris County judge sets his execution for Nov. 19, 2026.[10]

## What happens next

The execution is set for Nov. 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. or later.[7][10] *The sources reviewed report no pending litigation or clemency proceeding that could affect the date.*[11]

## Sources

1. [Hand-down list, Jan. 5, 2000: Dennes, Reinaldo, No. 72,966 (Harris County), affirmed](https://txcourts.gov/All_Archived_Documents/ccaInformation/archives/opinions/01052000hd.htm). Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Jan. 5, 2000. (court or official record)
2. [Dennes v. Davis, No. 17-70010](https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/Opinions/unpub/17/17-70010.0.pdf). U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Jan. 6, 2020. (court or official record)
3. [Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, Dennes v. Davis, No. 20-5360](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-5360/149310/20200803170821835_Cert%20Petition-Dennes.pdf). Filed by Dennes's attorney in the U.S. Supreme Court, Aug. 3, 2020. (court or official record)
4. [Brief in Opposition, Dennes v. Lumpkin, No. 20-5360](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-5360/159317/20201030174214240_SCT%20Draft-tables-Edited.pdf). State of Texas, filed in the U.S. Supreme Court, Oct. 30, 2020. (court or official record)
5. [Docket, Dennes v. Lumpkin, No. 20-5360](https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/20-5360.html). Supreme Court of the United States (petition denied Dec. 7, 2020). (court or official record)
6. [Death Row Information: Dennes, Reinaldo, TDCJ #999248](https://tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/dennesreinaldo.html). Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (court or official record)
7. [Scheduled Executions](https://tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/scheduled_executions.html). Texas Department of Criminal Justice (last updated Oct. 8, 2026). (court or official record)
8. [Tex. Penal Code § 19.03, Capital Murder](https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._penal_code_section_19.03). Texas Penal Code (current text). (court or official record)
9. [Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 37.071, Procedure in Capital Case](https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._code_of_crim._proc._article_37.071). Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (current text). (court or official record)
10. [Execution date set for Houston jeweler's killer 30 years after $3.5M diamond heist](https://abc13.com/post/houston-jewelers-killer-set-get-execution-date-30-years-35m-diamond-heist/19674427/). ABC13 Houston (KTRK), Aug. 14, 2026. (news report)
11. [Upcoming Executions](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/upcoming-executions). Death Penalty Information Center (last updated Oct. 21, 2026). (news report)
12. [Stop the Execution of Reinaldo Dennes in Texas](https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-reinaldo-dennes-in-texas). Death Penalty Action (advocacy petition), via Action Network, 2026. (news report)