Man who carved 'I'm sorry' on chest after raping and murdering teen girl executed in Mississippi - Sky News

A antheral has been executed by lethal injection successful the US for the rape and execution of a 16-year-old miss much than 2 decades ago.

Thomas Edwin Loden Jr was pronounced dormant astatine 6.12pm section clip successful Mississippi connected Wednesday, officials said - the 2nd inmate to beryllium executed successful the authorities successful 10 years.

Loden had been connected decease enactment since 2001 aft helium pleaded blameworthy to murder, rape and 4 counts of intersexual artillery against Leesa Marie Gray.

She was stranded with a level tyre successful June 2000 erstwhile Loden forced her into his van.

The Marine Corps recruiter spent 4 hours sexually assaulting her earlier strangling and suffocating her, according to an interrogation helium gave to investigators.

Loden was aboriginal discovered lying by the broadside of a roadworthy with the words "I'm sorry" carved into his thorax and cuts to his wrists, tribunal records show.

He was 1 of 5 decease enactment inmates suing Mississippi implicit its lethal injection protocol.

A national justice declined to artifact the execution, adjacent though the suit was inactive pending.

Officials said Loden was "remorseful to the family" earlier helium was enactment to death.

Ms Gray had been moving arsenic a waitress astatine her uncle's edifice successful northeast Mississippi, successful the summertime earlier what should person been her elder twelvemonth of precocious school.

She near enactment aft acheronian connected 22 June 2000 and became stranded with a level tyre connected a agrarian road.

Loden encountered Gray connected the roadworthy astir 10.45pm and began speaking with the teen astir the level tyre, saying: "Don't worry. I'm a Marine. We bash this benignant of stuff."

Loden told investigators helium became aggravated aft Gray allegedly said she would ne'er privation to beryllium a Marine, and that helium ordered her into his van.

After pleading blameworthy successful September 2001, Loden told Gray's friends and household during his sentencing: "I anticipation you whitethorn person immoderate consciousness of justness erstwhile you permission present today."

Ms Gray's parent Wanda Farris described her girl arsenic a "happy-go-lucky, ever smiling" teen who aspired to go an simple schoolhouse teacher.