A 50-year-old American convicted of murdering a man with a hammer in 1997 was executed in Oklahoma after the state governor denied a clemency request, state authorities announced, and James Coddington was given a lethal injection in McAllister prison.
Oklahoma prison director Scott Crowe confirmed Coddington’s death at 10:16 local time (15:16 GMT), adding that there were no problems with his execution.
The conservative, rural southern U.S. state of Oklahoma resumed executions in October 2021 after a six-year hiatus due to unsuccessful executions. It became the state with the most executions in 2022, as the number reached three.
James Coddington was sentenced to death for killing 73-year-old friend Albert Hill with a hammer in 1997 for refusing to give him money to buy drugs.
The state Board of Pardons and Parole recommended a pardon for Coddington, but Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt denied the request on Wednesday.
Ten prisoners have been executed in the United States since the beginning of the year, most of them in southern states, according to the Death Penalty Clearinghouse.
