Missouri executes man for killing officer in 2005 - KSDK.com

BONNE TERRE, Mo. — A Missouri inmate convicted of ambushing and sidesplitting a St. Louis country constabulary serviceman whom helium blamed for his younger brother's decease has been executed Tuesday, barring a last-minute intervention.

Kevin Johnson's ineligible squad doesn't contradict that helium killed Officer William McEntee successful 2005, but contended successful an entreaty to the Missouri Supreme Court that helium was sentenced to decease successful portion due to the fact that helium is Black. But successful a 5-2 ruling precocious Monday, the authorities Supreme Court denied a stay. Johnson's lawyers responded by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The State of Missouri is poised to execute Kevin Johnson tonight, not for his crimes, but due to the fact that helium is Black," 1 of his attorneys, Shawn Nolan, said successful a statement.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said Tuesday nighttime successful a statement:

 “Today, the authorities of Missouri carried retired Kevin Johnson’s condemnation arsenic ordered by the Missouri Supreme Court. Mr. Johnson was convicted and sentenced to decease for the 2005 execution of Sgt. Bill McEntee. Mr. Johnson’s claims were reviewed by authorities and national courts, and nary tribunal reversed his condemnation oregon sentence. We anticipation that this volition bring immoderate closure to Sgt. McEntee’s loved ones who proceed to anguish without him.”

McEntee, 43, was a 20-year seasoned of the constabulary section successful Kirkwood, a St. Louis suburb. The begetter of 3 was among the officers sent to Johnson’s location connected July 5, 2005, to service a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was connected probation for assaulting his girlfriend, and constabulary believed helium had violated probation.

Johnson saw officers get and awoke his 12-year-old brother, Joseph “Bam Bam” Long, who ran to a location adjacent door. Once there, the boy, who suffered from a congenital bosom defect, collapsed and began having a seizure.

Johnson testified astatine proceedings that McEntee kept his parent from entering the location to assistance his brother, who died a abbreviated clip aboriginal astatine a hospital.

That aforesaid evening, McEntee returned to the vicinity to cheque connected unrelated reports of fireworks being changeable off. A tribunal filing from the Missouri lawyer general's bureau said McEntee was successful his car questioning 3 children erstwhile Johnson changeable him done the unfastened passenger-side window, striking the officer's leg, caput and torso. Johnson past got into the car and took McEntee's gun.

The tribunal filing said Johnson walked down the thoroughfare and told his parent that McEntee “let my member die” and “needs to spot what it feels similar to die.” Though she told him, “That's not true,” Johnson returned to the shooting country and recovered McEntee alive, connected his knees adjacent the patrol car. Johnson changeable McEntee successful the backmost and successful the head, sidesplitting him.

Johnson’s lawyers person antecedently asked the courts to intervene for different reasons, including a past of intelligence unwellness and his property — 19 — astatine the clip of the crime. Courts person progressively moved distant from sentencing teen offenders to decease since the Supreme Court successful 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 astatine the clip of their crime.

But a broader absorption of appeals has been connected alleged radical bias. In October, St. Louis Circuit Judge Mary Elizabeth Ott appointed a peculiar authoritative to reappraisal the case. The peculiar prosecutor, E.E. Keenan, filed a question earlier this period to vacate the decease sentence, stating that contention played a “decisive factor” successful the decease sentence.

Ott declined to acceptable speech the decease penalty.

Keenan told the authorities Supreme Court successful a proceeding connected Monday that erstwhile St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch’s bureau handled 5 cases involving the deaths of constabulary officers during his 28 years successful office. McCulloch sought the decease punishment successful the 4 cases involving Black defendants but did not question decease successful the 1 lawsuit wherever the suspect was white, Keenan said.

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Crane responded that “a just assemblage determined helium deserves the decease penalty.”

McCulloch does not person a listed telephone fig and could not beryllium reached for comment.

Johnson's 19-year-old daughter, Khorry Ramey, had sought to witnesser the execution, but a authorities instrumentality prohibits anyone nether 21 from observing the process. Courts person declined to measurement successful connected Ramey's behalf.

The time before, advocates besides rallied connected the steps of the Missouri Supreme Court. 

One of those radical was Reverend Darryl Gray. 

Gray is Johnson's spiritual advisor. 

Gray talked astir baptizing Johnson days starring up to his execution. 

"We walked into the chaplain’s bureau and determination was a large ole tub. The guards stayed; the lawman warrant stayed. They videotaped it for the different inmates and erstwhile Kevin got successful the h2o you tin spot the calmness of his body. Kevin struggled with his faith. Kevin realized a fractured religion is amended than nary religion astatine each and I judge that’s what is getting him done this," Gray said.

He said, successful his 40 years of ministry and hundreds of baptisms, that's 1 helium volition ne'er forget. 

The U.S. saw 98 executions successful 1999 but the fig has dropped dramatically successful caller years. Missouri already has 2 scheduled for aboriginal 2023. Convicted slayer Scott McLaughlin is scheduled to dice connected Jan. 3 and convicted slayer Leonard Taylor’s execution is acceptable for Feb. 7.