Man convicted of killing a 15-year-old girl in her home in 2001 is executed by injection in Indiana
CHICAGO AP An Indiana man convicted in the rape and murder of a teenage girl was executed by injection early Friday in the state s third execution since resuming capital punishment last year Roy Lee Ward was put to death at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City Indiana Department of Correction stated in a announcement that the process started shortly after midnight and Ward was pronounced dead at a m Ward was convicted in the rape and murder of -year-old Stacy Payne Officers revealed Ward attacked the girl with a knife and dumbbell in her family s southern Indiana home The crime rocked Dale a population of roughly people Ward s last meal included a hamburger and fries from Texas Corral according to IDOC One of his spiritual advisors Deacon Brian Nosbusch was allowed in the chamber Nosbusch revealed he held Ward s right hand as the drug was administered He closed his eyes His hand that I was holding turned blue and he was gone Nosbusch noted There was no movement at all from the body He blinked at me just before Among states with death penalty laws Indiana is one of two that bar media onlookers to executions Ward s witness list included attorneys who were seated in an adjoining room with a partial view through a one-way window and no sound Attorneys commented Ward had prepared a announcement he yearned Nosbusch to read But Nosbusch mentioned he didn t get the chance In their execution notification IDOC bureaucrats shared Ward s last words as Brian is going to read them They did not explain at the time Hours later attorneys shared a copy of what Ward intended as his final words State bureaucrats belatedly posted it online saying they came into possession of it after the execution I wish I could go back and change things but I can t I hate myself for what I did Ward commented in the announcement If I could take with me every bit of pain I have caused Stacy and her family I would There is no excuse I also hurt my family I wish I could take that away I have urged God for forgiveness even though I feel I do not deserve it and cannot forgive myself I hope my execution gives Stacy s family chosen peace Attorney Larry Komp among Ward s viewers announced he was processing what he saw He declined further comment Ward had exhausted his legal options after more than two decades His attorney Joanna Green stated days before the execution that Ward was very remorseful Afterward she explained other attorneys who witnessed couldn t see Ward s face Ward s execution came amid questions about Indiana s handling of the powerful sedative pentobarbital Last year state leaders ended a -year pause on executions saying they d been able to obtain drugs used in lethal injections that had been unavailable for years The state s Department of Correction announced it had obtained enough pentobarbital to follow the required protocol for Ward s execution Ward s attorneys had raised concerns about the use of the drug and how the state stored it His episode trailed through the courts for decades Ward was convicted of the crimes in and sentenced to death But after the Indiana Supreme Court overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial he pleaded guilty in A decade later the U S Supreme Court declined to hear the scenario In he sued Indiana seeking to stop all pending executions Last month the Indiana Supreme Court declined to stay the execution and Gov Mike Braun rejected Ward s clemency bid The victim s family members explained they were ready for justice to be carried out remembering Payne as an honor trainee and cheerleader with an influence beyond her short life Now our family gatherings are no longer whole holidays still empty Birthdays are sad reminders of what we lost her mother Julie Wininger advised the parole board last month Our family has endured emotional devastation Ward skipped an appearance before the board for his clemency bid saying he didn t want to force the victim s family to advance to the prison and that he couldn t perpetually say what he meant Attorneys say Ward was in recent weeks diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder which affected his ability to communicate Laura Volk one of Ward s attorneys explained she saw him change from a sad broken man to someone kind and generous I have witnessed him help others in the small approaches he can she noted ahead of the execution In the years I have been doing this work I can say Roy is a different person than when he went in Golden informed from Seattle Source
