The state of Florida did something on Thursday it hasn’t done since reinstating the death penalty in 1976: Execute a white man for killing a black man.
Deathrow inmate Mark Asay (Photo: Handout . / Reuters)
The fact that Asay is the first white person to be executed in Florida for killing a black person in 40 years isn’t going unnoticed by critics of capital punishment.
“It does make the case even stronger that there’s this disparity gap that exists between black and white ― who gets the death penalty and who gets exonerated,” she said.
The Asay execution marked a couple of other Florida firsts.
It was the state’s first execution in more than 18 months since the Supreme Court ruled the state’s sentencing process was unconstitutionalbecause it gave judges, not juries, too much power in deciding whether to execute an inmate, according to CNN.
The state has since passed a law requiring a unanimous jury recommendation for the death penalty.
Asay was killed via a lethal injection of three drugs, one of which, etomidate, has never been used in an execution, according to WJAX.
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Robert Dale Conklin
Robert Dale Conklin was executed July 12, 2005 in Georgia for the murder of his ex-boyfriend. For his last meal he requested: Filet mignon wrapped in bacon, de-veined shrimp sauteed in garlic butter with lemon; a baked potato with butter, sour cream, chives and real bacon bits; corn on the cob, asparagus with hollandaise sauce; French bread with butter; goat cheese; cantaloupe; apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream; and an iced tea.
Hastings Arthur Wise
Hastings Arthur Wise was executed Nov. 4, 2005, in South Carolina via lethal injection for the murder of four of his ex-coworkers. For his last meal he requested: a lobster tail, French fries, coleslaw, banana pudding and milk.
Ted Bundy
Serial killer Ted Bundy confessed to 30 murders and was executed by the state of Florida on Jan. 24, 1989, by way of the electric chair. He made no special requests and was offered the traditional meal of steak and eggs, which he didn't eat.
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy received a lethal injection from the state of Illinois on May 10, 1994, for the rape and murder of 33 young men and boys from 1972 to 1978. Dubbed the "Killer Clown" by the media, his last meal included a dozen deep-fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe chicken from KFC, French fries and a pound of strawberries.
Dennis Wayne Bagwell
Convicted of murdering his half sister, her 4-year-old daughter and two other women, Dennis Wayne Bagwell was executed in Texas on Feb. 17, 2005, by lethal injection. He asked for a last meal larger than most, requesting: A beef steak, medium rare with A1 Sauce, three fried chicken breast, three fried chicken thighs, BBQ ribs, a large order of french fries, a large order of onion rings, a pound of fried bacon, a dozen scrambled eggs with onions, fried tatters with onions, sliced tomatoes, a salad with ranch dressing, two hamburgers with everything, peach pie or cobbler, ketchup, salt and pepper, milk and coffee, ice tea with real sugar. (Actual meal not pictured)
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. McVeigh was executed via lethal injection in Indiana on June 11, 2001, and had another unusual request: two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Correction: This slide originally misstated the year of the Oklahoma City bombing as 1996.
Philip Workman
Philip Workman was convicted of murdering a police officer during a failed robbery of a Wendy's in Tennessee. He was executed on May 9, 2007, via lethal injection. Workman actually declined a special last meal for himself, but rather asked that a large vegetarian pizza be given to a homeless person in Nashville. Prison officials denied his request, but homeless shelters across the state received pizzas from all over the country honoring his last request.
Ronnie Lee Gardner
Ronnie Lee Gardner was already on trial for the murder of one man, when he fatally shot an attorney during a failed escape attempt. He was executed June 18, 2010, by firing squad in Utah. Not only did Gardner request steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7-Up for his last meal, he also spent his last hours watching the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Velma Barfield
Convicted of five murders, Velma Barfield was the first woman in the U.S. to be executed after the 1977 return of capital punishment and the first woman to receive her sentence by lethal injection in 1984. Like Eddie Duval Powell, she made no special last meal, but rather a can of Coca-cola and a bag of Cheez Doodles.
James Edward Smith
James Edwards Smith was convicted of robbery and murder in Texas and was executed on June 26, 1990. With perhaps the strangest request, Smith did not ask for a meal, but for a lump of dirt, which was reportedly for a Voodoo ritual. As dirt was not on the list of approved prison foods, his request was denied and he settled for a small cup of yogurt instead.
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