Arizona executed its first death row inmate in more than seven years in the conviction of a man responsible for killing a college student in 1978.
Clarence Dixon, 66, was executed by lethal injection, making him the sixth person in the nation to die under the death penalty this year.
Clarence Dixon is the sixth inmate to be put to death in the United States this year. https://t.co/6kBqeiSBS2
— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) May 12, 2022
“Arizona hadn’t executed an inmate since July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a drug cocktail over a two-hour period in what his lawyers called a botched execution,” Fox News reported.
Last-minute efforts
The Supreme Court turned down a recent attempt to delay the execution just an hour before it occurred.
Dixon continued to maintain his innocence until the end, despite the guilty conviction, with his final words including, “I do and will always proclaim innocence.”
U.S. Supreme Court has denied a stay of execution for Clarence Dixon. Execution still scheduled to happen in less than an hour #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/9fw6QAiCSF
— Nicole Garcia Fox10 (@Fox10_NicoleG) May 11, 2022
Last meal
Dixon’s reported last meal included Kentucky Fried Chicken, strawberry ice cream, and water.
“Maybe I’ll see you on the other side Deana. I don’t know you. I don’t remember you,” he reportedly said after receiving the fatal injection.
His death by lethal rejection remains controversial with some who claim he was mentally unfit to be executed.
Last Meal: Clarence Dixon had Kentucky Fried Chicken, strawberry ice cream, and water. He will be executed by lethal injection at 10:00 am #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/0OO6jHkmCp
— Nicole Garcia Fox10 (@Fox10_NicoleG) May 11, 2022
The tragic ending brought a conclusion to the more than 40-year-old case that ended the life of a college student far too early and led to four decades of a man incarcerated before the fateful decision.