HUNTSVILLE -- A man responsible for a six-month reign of terror 15 years ago in Port Arthur is set for execution this week in Huntsville for fatally shooting a firefighter who had interrupted the ex-convict's rape of the fireman's nieces during a burglary.

Authorities say Elroy Chester's one-man crime wave left five people dead, five shot, three raped and 25 homes burglarized.

The 44-year-old Chester faces lethal injection Wednesday evening for the 1998 killing of Willie Ryman III, a two-time Port Arthur firefighter of the year. Chester pleaded guilty to the slaying.

Chester's attorneys are trying to stop the punishment, arguing a federal appeals court judge who ruled against Chester's claim of mental impairment is biased against him. They want a new appeals judge to look at his case.

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