Death Row killer has been executed by lethal injection after the original ruling was overturned three times. Carman Deck, 56, confessed to killing elderly couple James and Zelma Long while he burgled their Missouri, USA, home in July 1996.
Deck died at around 6pm (local time) on Tuesday (May 3) after Missouri Governor Mike Parson refused to grant him clemency. The double murderer was given a lavish final meal at around 1pm, reportedly choosing to gorge on a juicy ribeye steak and some shrimp.
Karen Pojmann, Missouri Department of Corrections director, said that he accompanied the meal with asparagus, salad with Italian dressing and cottage cheese, before washing it all down with V-8 juice.
Deck was initially sentenced to death in 1998, a ruling which was overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court after it transpired that his attorney had committed serious errors during the trial.In 2005 a second ruling was thrown out when it was decided the trial had been prejudiced when the jury saw him in shackles, reports the Daily Mirror.A third decision to execute Deck in 2008 was annulled after a trial witness did not appear during sentencing.In October 2020 a three-judge panel of the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated his death penalty, ruling that Deck should have voiced his concerns in the state and not the federal court.Deck’s attorney Elizabeth Unger Carlyle told news outlet KDSK that this week's execution was “unconstitutional” because it had been overturned so many times.The Missouri Supreme Court decided not to stop the execution and, following that, Governor Parson said on Monday (May 2) that the execution would proceed.He said in a statement: "Mr Deck has received due process, and three separate juries of his peers.
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