The execution of Ernest Johnson

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published October 7, 2021 at 4:00 AM CDT

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The state of Missouri this week executed Ernest Johnson, 61, who was convicted of murdering three people in 1994. His attorneys argued he was ineligible for the death penalty because multiple IQ tests had shown he had the mental capacity of a child.

On Tuesday evening, Missouri executed Ernest Johnson, a 61-year-old man who was convicted of murdering three people in 1994. But many people — including Pope Francis, U.S. Representatives Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, and protestors across the state — said Johnson shouldn’t have been killed.

Missouri ranks fifth in the country for the number of people it’s put to death in the past 45 years. Jason Hancock, a reporter for the Missouri Independent, has covered this story and joins us to share what he learned about the case.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and edited by C.J. Janovy.

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