Arkansas death-row inmates; Jack Harold Jones Jr., left, and Marcel Williams were executed on April 24, 2017
The southern state of Arkansas in America, executed two inmates, the first double execution in the United States in 17 years, according to the Arkansas attorney general. Arkansas executed two death row inmates, both convicted murders, Monday night, making it the first state to carry out two death sentences on one day since 2000.
The Arkansas Department of Correction administered its lethal injection cocktail to Jack Jones, 52, at 7:06 p.m. CT and a coroner pronounced him dead at 7:20 p.m. Marcel Williams, 46, was declared dead by the same procedure just over three hours later at 10:33 p.m.
J.R. Davisa, a spokesman for Gov. Asa Hutchinson, described the executions as "flawless."
Jones' and Williams' executions are part of an aggressive schedule set by Hutchinson that originally planned to execute eight men within 10 days, because a key lethal injection drug expires at the end of the month. Four of those executions were blocked by courts but Arkansas executed Ledell Lee on Thursday night, only minutes before his death warrant expired.
Williams did not make a final statement. Jones' last words were lengthy and included an apology to his victims' families. "I hope over time you could learn who I really am, and that I am not a monster," Jones said.
After years of delay, Stacy Errickson’s family and friends have seen justice carried out. Read my full statement. #arpx#ARexecutions
Williams death sentence was briefly put on hold after Williams lawyers asked for and received a stay by claiming that Jones' execution was "torturous."
Judge Kristine Baker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas denied the motion's request in a ruling delivered at 9:22 p.m., more than an hour after Williams was originally scheduled to die.
The Arkansas Department of Correction is using a controversial lethal injection combo that lawyers for the two inmates had attempted to challenge in state and federal courts. But both men's appeals have been dismissed by the Arkansas Supreme Court, a district court, the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court as of Monday evening.
Department of Correction spokesman Solomon Graves requested six witnesses from local media to watch the procedure — three for Jones and three for Williams.
Graves also shared what Jones and Williams requested as their last meal.
Jones ate three pieces of fried chicken, potato logs with tartar sauce, beef jerky bites, three Butterfinger candy bars, a chocolate milkshake with Butterfinger pieces and fruit punch.
Williams requested three pieces of fried chicken, potato logs with ketchup, banana pudding, nachos topped with chili cheese and jalapeño peppers and two Mountain Dews.
No comments:
Post a Comment