Mississippi executes Paul Everette Woodward

PARCHMAN, Miss. -- Paul Everette Woodward (left) was put to death by lethal injection Wednesday for the 1986 rape and murder of a 24-year-old Escatawpa woman.

Woodward, 62, was convicted of capital murder in 1987 in the death of Rhonda Crane, a Jackson County Youth Court volunteer.

Crane was driving in July 1986 to join her parents for a family camping trip when Woodward used his log truck to force her to stop on Mississippi Highway 29 south of New Augusta, prosecutors said.

A jury found Woodward guilty of kidnapping and raping Crane, then shooting her to death.

The execution was carried out shortly after 6:30 p.m. CDT at the state penitentiary in Parchman.

Woodward was pronounced dead at 6:39 p.m.

3 protesters wearing shirts with anti-death penalty slogans stood at the Parchman entrance as a mix of sodium pentothal, saline, pavulon and potassium chloride was pumped into Woodward's veins.

Before 6 p.m., Gov. Haley Barbour sent a letter to Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps saying he denied clemency for Woodward.

None of Woodward's family members was present for his execution. Woodward also had no visits from relatives in his final days.

Woodward requested that his body be released to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Epps said Woodward did not express remorse over Crane's death.

Woodward made no phone calls, but he visited with Williams and his other attorney, Nina Rifkind, and spiritual adviser William "Buck" Buchannan from 3:10-3:56 p.m.

As his execution drew near, Woodward sat on the bed in his cell at Parchman's Unit 17, adjacent to the execution room, and discussed the cross-country treks he had made in his life as a truck driver. He also praised MDOC for improvements to the prison and their treatment of him, Epps said.

"His voice started shivering and he said 'Yes sir, I do. I wish I could take it all back,' " Epps recounted.

Woodward's final words were: "Thank you warden - I'm sorry, I mean commissioner.

Epps, who first met Woodward when he was admitted to Parchman in 1987, said the inmate always had been talkative and followed the rules. He had just 2 infractions - both in 1993 - in the 23 years he was imprisoned.

Epps said Woodward was thought to have at least 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Still, Woodward requested no family be present for his execution and placed no family members on his approved call list.

"I think a reasonable person would assume he doesn't have close family ties," Epps said earlier. "We have had no requests from family to visit."

It is one of two executions set in as many days. Gerald James Holland is scheduled to be executed Thursday at 6 p.m.

Mississippi now has 60 inmates on death row, including Gerald Holland, who is scheduled to die for the 1986 rape and murder of Krystal Dee King on her 15th birthday in Gulfport

Woodward becomes the 1st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Mississippi and the 11th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1983.

Woodward becomes the 20th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1208th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

Source: AP and Rick Halperin, May 19, 2010