US executes man for kidnap, rape, murder
The United States on Tuesday carried out its first execution since a botched lethal injection in Oklahoma in April, after last minute appeals were denied.
Marcus Wellons, 58, convicted of the 1989 kidnapping, rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl, was put to death shortly before midnight in the southern state of Georgia, a spokesman for the prison system said.
In a second case, the Supreme Court also rejected appeals and cleared the way for the execution on Wednesday in the state of Missouri of John Winfield, convicted of killing two women.
A third execution is also scheduled for 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) Wednesday in the southern state of Florida.
US states using the death penalty have faced crises over shortages of lethal injection drugs after European suppliers stopped supplying pentobarbital for use in executions.
The shortages have prompted prison departments in the 32 states that still allow the death penalty to seek new supply sources or new drug protocols.
In Oklahoma in April, Clayton Lockett, a convicted killer and rapist, was put to death by lethal injection in a process that took 43 minutes, well over the expected time of a little over 10 minutes. He was seen writhing in pain in a spectacle that drew widespread condemnation, even from President Barack Obama.
Since then each execution slated to take place had been delayed as states reviewed their execution procedures.