Missouri, United States

A murder convict, Brian Dorsey, was executed by the state of Missouri on Tuesday (April 9) for killing his cousin and her husband.

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The incident had occurred almost two decades ago and in this, the 4-year-old daughter of the couple was left home alone and unharmed.

The death sentence of Dorsey was carried out by the state by administering him a lethal injection at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Centre in Bonne Terre, Missouri's Department of Corrections said in a statement. 

The doctors pronounced him dead at 6:11 pm local time. The court denied clemency to Brian Dorsey after two separate bids to intervene were rejected by the high court. 

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The US Supreme Court had also refused to intervene and rejected all last-minute attempts to halt the execution, which included a plea for a stay on the order. The officials did not note any dissents. 

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Missouri Governor Mike Parson on Monday (April 8) confirmed that the state will move ahead with the death sentence of Dorsey while rejecting another request for clemency.

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Prison officers appealed to save Brian Dorsey

Many prison staffers had appealed to Parson to save Dorsey from execution since they claimed he had been rehabilitated and had called him a “model inmate". 

Meanwhile, his lawyers claimed that the accused was in a drug-induced psychosis when the murder was committed by him in 2006. 

Dorsey's attorney Kirk Henderson slammed the state for going ahead with his execution.

"If anyone deserves mercy, surely it is Brian, who has been fully rehabilitated and whose death sentence was so flawed that five of his jurors believe he should not be executed," said Henderson, in a statement. 

"Executing Brian Dorsey is a pointless cruelty, an exercise of the state's power that serves no legitimate penological purpose," he added. 

Dorsey, who had appealed for clemency, thanked those who made efforts to save his life. "To my family, friends, and all of those that tried to prevent this, I love you!" said Dorsey in a handwritten note that he left as his last words. 

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"I am grateful for you. I have peace in my heart in large part because of you and I thank you. To all those on ALL sides of this sentence, I carry no ill will or anger, only acceptance and understanding," he said.

Further apologising for everything, Dorsey in his last words said, "To all of the family and loved ones I share with Sarah and to all of the surviving family and loved ones of Ben, I am totally, deeply, overwhelmingly sorry. Words cannot hold the just weight of my guilt and shame. I still love you. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I am sorry I hurt them and you."

The court had convicted Dorsey of killing cousin Sarah Bonnie and her husband, Ben Bonnie after he requested them for help while claiming that two drug dealers were asking him to clear his debts.

(With inputs from agencies)