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Kevin Johnson is scheduled to be executed by the state of Missouri on Nov. 29. A jury of six white and six Black members deadlocked on whether he was guilty of first-degree murder or a lesser charge. When he went back for a second trial, he ended up with just three Black jurors — and a guilty verdict of first-degree murder.
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NPR spoke with 26 people who were involved with more than 200 executions across the country — including in Missouri. Most said their health suffered and they had little support to help them cope with their unusual jobs.
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Then-Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens postponed the execution of Marcellus Williams five years ago Monday, citing DNA evidence that raised questions about Williams’ guilt. The panel appointed to review the case has made recommendations to Gov. Mike Parson, but there’s been no action.
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A pair of St. Louis Democrats sought entry to the Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Center in Bonne Terre under a state law granting lawmakers access "at any time" to state prisons.
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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.
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Ernest Johnson is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Advocates, Missouri lawmakers and even Pope Francis had urged Parson to grant him clemency.
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The death row inmate, who had brain surgery, claims that death by lethal injection would cause severe and painful seizures. The court refused to hear his plea over dissent from the liberal justices.