Larry Swearingen set to be executed

WILLIS, Texas (FOX 26) - December 8, 1998, was the last time Sandy and Charles Trotter saw their daughter Melissa.

"We were going to meet for dinner and when she didn't show up, we knew something was wrong," says Sandy Trotter.

Nowadays, pictures inside their house show the vibrant 19-year-old woman, a college student and someone who loved her family.

After class many years ago, Melissa was raped and murdered and left for dead in the Sam Houston National Forest.

Defense attorneys for Larry Swearingen tried time after time to appeal and overturn his murder conviction, but a judge has finally set a date for his execution. He still maintains his innocence.

"It's like unfinished business that just doesn't go away," says Charles Trotter.

Charles says the hearings would have ended years ago if the defense would have done DNA testing on evidence used in the case.

"If they would have tested that evidence for DNA, they would not have found anything than what had already been found because see it was tested and it would have closed the avenue for appeals and they would have had no basis to file an appeal", says Charles Trotter.

The Trotters say they will be there for Swearingen's execution date, which is set for November 16th.  "It's just, is time that the punishment phase be carried out, is time for him to be executed and it's been thoroughly reviewed, he's running out of options", says Sandy Trotter.