The first federal death sentence in 17 years executed in the United States

The tours around the execution have been many in the last week. Only early on Tuesday, just hours before the planned execution was to take place, was the go-ahead given by a verdict.

Shortly after eight o'clock on Tuesday, in the state of Indiana, the verdict was finally carried out.

- I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I'm not a killer. You kill an innocent man, was the man's last word according to the AP.

Relatives have on several occasions wanted to turn the death sentence into a life sentence and have, with regard to the corona pandemic, demanded that the execution be postponed.

- For us, it is about being there and saying: "This is not done in our name, we do not want this", said Monica Veillette, relative of the murdered, before Tuesday.

Another four people are expected to have their federal death sentences executed shortly, two of them later this week. The message to move forward with the judges has been described by human rights groups as a dangerous political game. Among other things, it risks affecting the debate on criminal law reforms ahead of this autumn's presidential election, critics claim.