Corey Johnson death penalty: What were the murderer's last words?
CONVICTED murderer and drug trafficker Corey Johnson was put to death in Indiana on January 14.
He was given a lethal injection despite efforts by his lawyers to delay the execution.
Who was Corey Johnson?
Corey Johnson, 45, was involved in multiple murders and drug trafficking crimes in the Richmond, Virginia area.
He was joined by fellow gang members James Roane and Richard Tipton in a drug trafficking conspiracy that lasted from 1989 to 1992.
Johnson was reportedly abandoned by his mother when he was 13 to a residential facility for children with intellectual and emotional impairments.
When he turned 18, he was released into the community with very little skills and hardly any support.
Johnson found comfort in a New Jersey gang and began dealing crack-cocaine to provide for himself.
In February 1993, a jury in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found Johnson guilty of numerous federal offenses, including seven counts of capital murder.
The jury unanimously recommended seven death sentences, which the court imposed.
Hours before his scheduled execution in Terre Haute, Indiana, his lawyers filed an emergency application in the US Supreme Court to allow him to appeal the 4th Circuit's denials of his intellectual disability claim.
Despite the legal efforts to delay the lethal injection he was put to death as scheduled on January 14.
What were Johnson's final words?
In a final statement provided by his lawyers, Johnson said he was "sorry for my crimes" and said he wanted the victims to be remembered.
He said the pizza and strawberry milkshake he had as his last meal before the execution were "wonderful" – but he didn't get the jelly donuts he wanted.
He also thanked his minister and lawyer.
"I am okay," he said in the statement. "I am at peace."
He was the 12th inmate executed at the prison in Terre Haute since the Trump administration restarted federal executions following a 17-year hiatus.
How long did it take for him to die?
As the lethal drug began flowing through IVs into his arms strapped to a cross-shaped gurney, Johnson lifted his his wrist and waved to someone in the room for his family.
A low murmur emanated from the room in which someone seemed to be praying and offering words of reassurance to Johnson.
For two minutes, Johnson continued to try to speak.
But suddenly, his eyelids drew down hard and his mouth fell agape.
He moved only slightly after that. It took a little more than 20 minutes for him to die.
How long was he in prison?
Johnson has been serving time in prison for nearly 30 years.
Aside from being convicted for the seven murders, Johnson was also charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine base with the intent to distribute, and 11 counts of committing acts of violence including the seven killings charged under in aid of racketeering activity.
Additionally, he was charged with five counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence or drug-trafficking offense, and two counts of possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute.
He and his partners were the longest-serving inmates on federal death row.
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