INDIANA, USA. GREGORY JOHNSON, MAN WHO WANTED TO DONATE LIVER, EXECUTED

May 25, 2005: Indiana executed Gregory Johnson, a convicted murderer who had sought a reprieve so he could donate part of his liver to an ailing sister.
Johnson, 40, was pronounced dead at 12:28 a.m. (0528 GMT) after an injection of lethal chemicals, officials at the Indiana State Prison said. A signed, hand-written statement by Johnson released after his execution accused authorities of failing to recognize that he had changed while in prison and was capable of a humane act such as donating an organ. His final words were, "Everyone has been professional," prison spokeswoman Java Ahmed said.
Governor Mitch Daniels said he agreed with the Indiana Parole Board which voted unanimously last week to deny Johnson's clemency petition. He said there were no grounds to second-guess years of court rulings. Johnson had requested clemency or a 90-day stay so he could donate part of his liver, recover from the surgery and then be executed. He was sentenced to death for killing an 82-year-old woman during a home break-in in 1985.
In his written statement, Johnson said the parole board had improperly concluded "that I was not sincere and there had been no change from the Gregory Scott Johnson of 20 years ago."
"If you refuse to acknowledge any change or any attempts to change, then you are shredding portions of the Indiana Constitution, article one, section 19, 'the penal code shall be based on principles of reformation, and not vindictive justice.'
"Thanks to all of you for your prayers, I'll see you on the other side," he wrote. (Sources: Reuters, 25/05/2005)