Missouri inmate executed despite appeals from Pope and lawmakers

The state of Missouri executed an inmate on Tuesday following calls by the Pope and members of Congress to stay the execution over concerns about his intellectual disability.

Ernest Lee Johnson died of an injection of pentobarbital at 6:11 p.m. in state prison and could be seen saying “I love you” to family members, according to ABC17 News.

Johnson was put to death for killing three workers in a 1994 convenience store robbery in Columbia, Missouri. In August, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected Johnson’s team claim that he was not eligible for the death penalty because of his intellectual disability. Johnson is said to have had about a fifth of his brain tissue removed during an operation to treat a brain tumor.

The inmate also had a history of very low IQ test scores dating back to his childhood, and his lawyer said Johnson was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, the Associated Press reported.

Johnson had previously requested that his death be carried out by a firing squad, as the drug used for the lethal injection could trigger seizures. His request was denied because firing squad death is not permitted by Missouri law, according to the AP.

In a letter to Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) on Friday, Representatives. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) And Cori bush (D-Mo.) Urged the governor not to execute Johnson.

“The point is, these death sentences are not about justice,” the representatives wrote. “It is about who has institutional power and who does not. As slavery and lynching did before, the death penalty perpetuates cycles of trauma, violence and murder sanctioned by the state in black and brown communities. “

Pope FrancisPope Francis Pope and religious leaders sign climate appeal ahead of summit Three Swiss guards who refused Vatican vaccination mandate return home Pope congratulates young activists who challenge world leaders on climate MORE also called on Parson last week to grant Johnson clemency. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Vatican ambassador to the United States, underscored Johnson’s “humanity and the sanctity of all human life” in a letter to the governor of Missouri.