JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson won’t stop the execution Tuesday of Ernest Lee Johnson, saying he believes the evidence showed the intellectually disabled man was fully aware of his crime.
“The state is prepared to deliver justice and carry out the lawful sentence Mr. Johnson received in accordance with the Missouri Supreme Court’s order,” the Republican governor said.
The announcement came amid pleas for Parson to spare the life of Johnson, 61, from Pope Francis, a former Missouri governor, members of Congress and faith-based groups, who want the governor to halt the execution, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state’s death chamber in Bonne Terre.