Authorities in the US state of Missouri executed Ernest Johnson, convicted of triple murder, last Tuesday night after Governor Mike Parson and the US Supreme Court rejected Pope Francis' appeals for his pardon because he is mentally disabled.
The 61-year-old African-American was found guilty by a jury of killing in 1994 three workers at a gas station, which he robbed. He was given a lethal injection at Missouri's Bon Ter Prison yesterday and was pronounced dead at 18:11 p.m. local time.
After Johnson was sentenced to life in prison, his lawyers repeatedly appealed to the courts to overturn the sentence, based on a US Supreme Court ruling that the execution of people with mental health problems is unconstitutional.
According to his lawyers, there is a lot of "evidence" that Johnson suffers from mental retardation: he was born with fetal alcohol syndrome because his mother drank while she was pregnant, during his lifetime his IQ test scores were very low (average condition 67) and has "the abilities of a 4-year-old child".
But Missouri courts - up to the state Supreme Court - have rejected their arguments. In addition, the US Supreme Court, which rarely prevents executions, rejected the request of Johnson's lawyers with a short, unsigned decision last Tuesday night.
Based on the court ruling, Republican Gov. Mike Parson refused to pardon Johnson, as more than 23.000 people demanded, including a predecessor and two members of Congress.
Even Pope Francis, through his representative in the United States, tried to persuade the governor to "suspend" the execution.
"Johnson's claim that he cannot be executed has been reviewed and rejected by juries and courts six times, including a unanimous decision by the Missouri Supreme Court," Parson said in a statement, calling Johnson a "violent killer." ”.
in.gr