Shola Lee
Two of the oldest death row inmates are set to be executed today and one asked for a pretty basic final meal.
The two inmates are Oscar Franklin Smith, 72, and Carl Wayne Buntion, 78.
They are due to be executed today (21 April) by lethal injection, with Smith continuing to maintain his innocence after having several appeals rejected.
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Smith was said to have stabbed and shot his estranged wife Judith and her two sons in Nashville back in 1989.
Using the $20 budget afforded to death row inmates, it has been reported that Smith ordered a fairly simple last meal.
His meal included a double bacon cheeseburger, a deep-dish apple pie, and vanilla bean ice cream, according to Metro.
Meanwhile, Carl Wayne Buntion was convicted of murdering police officer James Irby in Houston back in 1990.
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Irby pulled over a vehicle and spoke to the driver when Buntion, who was said to be sitting in the passenger seat, exited the vehicle and shot Irby once in the head and twice in the back.
The prisoner applied for clemency, with Buntion’s lawyers arguing in an appeal in October 2021: “Mr. Buntion is a frail, elderly man who requires specialised care to perform basic functions.
“He is not a threat to anyone in prison and will not be a threat to anyone in prison if his sentence is reduced to a lesser penalty.
“During the 31 years he has been incarcerated under a sentence of death, he has been cited for only three disciplinary infractions, and he has not been cited for any infraction whatsoever for the last twenty-three years.”
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Despite the appeals on Friday, 15 April, a federal judge rejected Buntion’s lawyers’ attempts to stop the execution.
This left the man who, according to The Mirror, is wheelchair-bound and suffers from numerous health issues including hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and chronic liver disease, to face lethal injection.
Many anti-death penalty groups have argued against the decision.
However, Irby’s family had a different response to the news, with his widow Maura Irby telling KPRC 2: “It’s been 30 years. We’ve been waiting for this.
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"I wish James was here to see this. It is good to close the chapter on my husband’s murder. We can now put this away.”
Buntion is set for execution today, along with Smith.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677