chicago — Chicago (AFP) – A Indiana man A convict convicted of raping and killing a teenage girl in 2001 was executed by injection early Friday in the state’s third execution since then. Appealing the death penalty last year.
Roy Lee Ward, 53, was executed at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. The operation began shortly after midnight and Ward was pronounced dead at 12:33 a.m., the Indiana Department of Corrections said in a statement.
Ward’s last meal was from Texas Coral and included a hamburger. His last words reported by the Indiana Department of Corrections were “Brian will read it,” but it was unclear exactly when he made that statement.
He was convicted of the rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacey Payne. Authorities said Ward attacked the girl with a knife and dumbbells at her family’s home near Deal, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Evansville. The crime shook the small community of about 1,500 people.
Ward had exhausted his legal options after more than two decades. His lawyer, Joanna Green, said days before the execution that Ward was “deeply remorseful” for the crime.
Ward’s execution came amid questions about Indiana’s handling of the powerful tranquilizer Pentobarbital. Last year, state officials ended a 15-year moratorium on death sentences, saying they were able to obtain drugs used in lethal injections that had not been available for years.
The Indiana Department of Corrections said it had obtained “sufficient pentobarbital to follow the required protocol” to execute Ward. Ward’s attorneys had raised concerns about the use of the drug and how it was stored in the state, including temperature issues.
Of the 27 states that have death penalty laws, Indiana She is one of two people who prevent media witnesses from attending executions. Ward’s list of witnesses included lawyers and spiritual advisors.
His case has been before the courts for more than 20 years.
Ward was convicted of the crimes in 2002 and sentenced to death. But after the Indiana Supreme Court overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial, he pleaded guilty in 2007. A decade later, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. In 2019, it is Indiana sued Seek to stop all pending executions.
Last month, the Indiana Supreme Court refused to stay the execution, and state Governor Mike Brown rejected Ward’s clemency request.
The victim’s family members said they were ready for justice, remembering that Payne was an honor student and cheerleader who made an impact beyond her short life.
“Now our family gatherings are no longer full, and the holidays are still empty. Birthdays are a sad reminder of what we have lost,” her mother, Julie Weninger, told the parole board last month. “Our family has been emotionally devastated.”
Ward skipped a parole board interview to seek clemency, saying he didn’t want to force the victim’s family to travel to prison and that he couldn’t always say what he meant. Attorneys say Ward was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which affected his ability to communicate.
One of his spiritual advisors, Deacon Brian Nosbusch, said before the execution that Ward thought deeply about his actions.
“He knows he did it,” Nosbusch said. “He knows it was terrible.”
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Golden reported from Seattle.