A death row inmate in Alabama used his final words to make a strong accusation against his executioner.
Casey McWhorter, who was executed last Thursday, had spent nearly 30 years on death row after he was convicted of the 1993 murder of Edward Lee Williams during a home invasion and robbery.
The 49-year-old, who was just three months past his 18th birthday at the time of the crime, was pronounced dead at 6:56PM (local time) after receiving a lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, as reported by the Daily Mail.
At the time of McWhorter's sentencing, prosecutors revealed that he conspired with two teenagers, including the victim's 15-year-old son, to steal from Williams' home and commit the murder.
The jury called for the death sentence, which was imposed by a judge, with McWhorter's younger accomplices receiving life sentences.
McWhorter's execution, after decades of legal battles, prompted a statement from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who said: "Edward Lee Williams' life was taken away from him at the hands of Casey A. McWhorter, and tonight, Mr. McWhorter answered for his actions."
Reverend Jeff Hood, a death row minister and anti-death penalty advocate, served as McWhorter's spiritual adviser during the execution.
As per News.com.au, Hood reflected on the event, stating: "It is not lost on me that he was a murderer, and so are all Alabamians tonight. I pray that we will all learn to stop killing each other."
McWhorter used his final words to take aim at his executioner, Terry Raybon, whom he accused of being a habitual abuser of women.
Raybon, a former Alabama state trooper fired two decades ago, currently serves as the state executioner and warden at the prison.
Beginning his final statement, McWhorter expressed his love for his family by saying: "I would like to say I love my mother and my family."
He also added that he hoped the family of the man he killed were able to find peace, and that he was apologetic for what he had done.
He then turned his attention to his executioner, saying: "It’s not lost on me that a habitual abuser of women is carrying out this procedure."
McWhorter's accusation against Raybon stems from a 2000 federal lawsuit in which Raybon claimed he was fired due to racial bias.
The lawsuit detailed incidents of domestic violence, including an alleged altercation with an Australian woman in 1998. The court ruling in 2001 stated that Raybon had physically assaulted the woman, resulting in a perforated left eardrum and multiple bruises.
According to AL, a judge later described Raybon as a man who "beats on women, consorts with felons, and neglects his official duties."
In 1998, a report of his alleged assault against an Australian woman reported that he "beat or used physical force against a woman to such extent that hospital treatment was necessary."
The woman had traveled to Alabama from Australia to meet with Raybon after they formed a connection online.
In 1999, another report of alleged abuse against a different woman was released, which revealed that Raybona allegedly "used physical force against a woman in a hotel room, causing injury to her by striking her face with a telephone, pushing her and breaking off a fingernail."
Despite Raybon's troubled history, he became a "correctional warden III," earning nearly $8,000 a month as of May 2022.
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