Though he committed hideous crimes and deserved to be kept away from society (though society failed him) Ernest Lee Johnson was a man who struggled. According to reports out Tuesday evening, Johnson notably a death row inmate who was both Black and intellectually disabled was executed earlier this evening. In his last and final words, Johnson mentioned that he not only had remorse but that he had found the lord.
Johnson ‘s execution is at least the 7th so far this year with several more expected to follow. These come at a time when most Americans are grasping the idea that the death penalty was never the right thing to do with many calling for it to be abolished. His lawyers had reportedly tried to argue that his execution would have been unconstitutional given his disabilities though Missouri officials including the Governor refused to intervene.
Johnson killed a group of convenience store workers in 1994 with a weapon and a claw hammer. Prosecutors argued that he had at the time done so during a robbery to buy drugs although it is unclear if that was ever actually proven.
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