USA: Executed with mental retardation

Executed Ernest Johnson, convicted of triple homicide, who was mentally retarded, was fatally injected by the Missouri authorities on Tuesday night. Gov. Mike Parson and US Supreme Court reject his appeals Pope Francis to be pardoned because he is mentally handicapped.

The 61-year-old African-American was found guilty by a jury for the murder of three workers at a gas station, which he robbed in 1994. Yesterday he was given a lethal injection at the Bon Ter Prison in Missouri and his death was announced at 18:11 local time.

After Johnson was sentenced to life in prison, his lawyers repeatedly appealed to the courts to overturn the sentence, based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the execution of persons suffering from mental problems is contrary to the Constitution.

According to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, citing his lawyers, there is a lot of “evidence” that Johnson suffers from mental retardation: was born with fetal alcohol syndrome because his mother drank while she was pregnant, during his lifetime the results of IQ tests he did were very low (average 67) and he has “the abilities of a 4-year-old child”.

But Missouri courts – up to the state Supreme Court – have rejected their arguments.

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.

“Johnson’s claim that he cannot be executed has been reviewed and rejected by a jury and courts six times, including a unanimous decision of the Missouri Supreme Court,” Parson said in a statement characterizing Johnson. “Violent murder”.