The rejection Tuesday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals moves 34-year-old Carroll Joe Parr another step closer to execution for the January 2003 slaying of Joel Dominguez.
Court records show Parr testified at his trial in Waco in 2004 and acknowledged planning the drug deal but insisted a friend was responsible for the robbery and shooting.
Evidence at his trial showed Parr also was linked to an unsolved murder in 2001 and had other drug offenses.
His appeal raised questions about jury selection, juror instructions and evidence of his criminal record. He does not have an execution date.
