A convicted double murderer who was executed by lethal injection today (4 April) made an unusual request for his last meal.
In February 2002 Michael Dewayne Smith murdered 41-year-old Janet Moore and 22-year-old Sharath Pulluru in separate incidents, with authorities saying he was already on the run following a previous killing.
Prosecutors say the double murders were misguided attempts at revenge as according to USA Today, Smith had been looking for Moore's son as he mistakenly thought he was a police informant before killing the mother in her home.
Pulluru was shot nine times at a convenience store before being doused with lighter fluid and set on fire.
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Smith continued to protest his innocence despite confessing to police his involvement in their deaths and the deaths of two others.
His legal representatives had argued that his confession to police was given under the influence of PCP, and had tried to argue that he should be spared the death penalty so he could instead spend the rest of his life in prison.
During a clemency hearing the 41-year-old claimed he hadn't committed the murders but his appeal was denied and a further appeal for a stay of execution was denied.
He was executed by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary, and pronounced dead at 10.20am local time.
The State of Oklahoma had resumed executions in 2021 after a six-year hiatus, and the death row inmate had failed with all of his appeals to court.
They also reported that Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond had made a formal request to deny Smith's plea for clemency, calling the 41-year-old a 'ruthless killer who has confessed to his crimes on multiple occasions'.
When offered the choice of what to order for a last meal, Smith made the unusual decision to reject the chance to place an order.
He instead ate some of the remaining foods he'd had from the prison canteen.
The convicted murderer also reportedly declined to provide last words, instead saying: "Nah, I'm good."
The execution process took slightly more than 10 minutes to be completed as it began at 10:09am and Smith was pronounced dead at 10:20am.
State prisons director Steven Harpe gave a statement on the execution to CBS, saying: "Today's event and the circumstances that led to it have affected many people - especially the family and friends of victims Janet Moore and Sharath Pulluru.
"As an agency, we carried out the court's orders according to our high standards of professionalism and respect for those in our custody, ensuring dignity for everyone involved in the process."
Joe Harker