27 January 2006 :
the state of Indiana executed a former drug dealer convicted of killing a young couple in 1983. Marvin Bieghler, 58, died at 2:17 a.m. EST (0717 GMT) following an injection of lethal chemicals at the Indiana State Prison, officials said.Bieghler was convicted of killing Tommy Miller, 20, and his pregnant wife Kimberly, 19. Bieghler shot both execution style because he thought the husband had informed on his drug dealings, prosecutors said.
He was put to death after the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, vacated a stay of execution granted by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday.
Bieghler had denied committing the slayings but the Indiana Parole Board voted earlier in the week against recommending clemency. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels denied his petition for clemency.
It was the 1,008th execution in the United States since 1976 when the death penalty was restored, and the 17th in Indiana during that time period. So far in 2006 there have been three other U.S. executions.
(Sources: Reuters, 27/01/2006)