Houston Jeweler Killer Faces New Execution Date Push

More than 30 years after a deadly robbery tied to a $3.5 million diamond theft in Houston, prosecutors are moving to set a new execution date for the man convicted of killing a local jeweler. The case traces back to a 1994 attack in the city that ended with jeweler and businessman Armin Lublinsky dead during a planned heist.

According to the reported timeline, the Harris County District Attorney's Office has asked a judge to set an execution date for 61-year-old Robert Fratta? No. In this case, the condemned inmate is the man convicted in the Lublinsky killing tied to the diamond robbery. The request comes decades after the crime, appeals, and years of post-conviction litigation that delayed any carrying out of the sentence.

1994 Houston diamond robbery remains central to the case

Authorities said the killing happened during a robbery built around high-value diamonds worth about $3.5 million. Lublinsky, a Houston jeweler, was targeted in the scheme and killed during the offense. A jury later convicted the defendant and sentenced him to death.

Capital cases in Texas often move through a long appeals process in state and federal courts. That has kept this case active for decades. The latest court step does not mean an execution is immediate, but it would place the matter back on a formal timetable if the judge approves the state's request.

Judge will decide whether to place execution on the calendar

The upcoming hearing is expected to focus on scheduling, not a retrial of the facts. If a date is set, it would mark the next major development in one of Houston's long-running murder cases. Court actions like this also reopen public attention on how long death penalty cases can take to reach a final stage.

ABC13 reported that the move comes roughly 30 years after the robbery and killing that shook Houston's jewelry community. Public records in death penalty cases often include additional procedural filings, and more court action could follow any ruling on the proposed date.

For now, the key development is the hearing in Harris County court, where the judge will decide whether the execution process moves forward on a set schedule. This article is a summary of reporting by ABC13 Houston. Read the full story here.