A convicted killer has been executed in front of his family in Alabama after spending nearly two decades on death row.
Jamie Ray Mills was executed at the age of 50 after being found guilty of the 2004 murders of 87-year-old Floyd Hill and his 72-year-old wife Vera.
The elderly couple were viciously robbed and beaten to death in their home in Guin, which is located roughly 70 miles northwest of Birmingham.
Mills' execution was moved to Thursday (May 30) after the 50-year-old inmate lost a couple of last-minute appeals arguing that another man was guilty of the crime and that he was the victim of an unfair trial.
As reported by USA Today, the death row inmate argued that his ex-wife, JoAnn Mills, lied on the stand during her testimony in 2007.
On April 5, Mills' legal team filed a motion that the evidence collected in the case actually proved his innocence, arguing that it called into question “not only the reliability of the capital trial verdict in this case, but also the integrity of the court."
Then, on April 26, Mills filed another motion, this time arguing that being strapped to an execution gurney for an extended period of time would be “unnecessarily cruel" and "torturous".
However, court records show that Mills' attempts avoid his execution fell on death ears, as Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote: “For a condemned inmate without the law or facts on his side, the best chance of delaying his execution is by filing multiple lawsuits in hopes of overwhelming the Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court at the last minute."
Prior to his death, he requested a final seafood feast as his final meal - consisting of three large shrimp, two catfish fillets, three oysters, three onion rings, and one stuffed crab, per the Montgomery Adviser.
Mills was executed by lethal injection.
Per News.com.au, witnesses to the execution say family members of both Mills and his victims were present in the gallery.
In his final moments, Mills gave his loved ones a thumbs up before mouthing the words "I love you".
When given the chance to deliver a final statement, he did not express remorse for the crimes he was convicted of, he simply said: “I love my family. I love my brother and sister. I couldn’t ask for more." He then thanked his attorney, Charlotte Morrison of the Equal Justice Initiative, saying: "Charlotte, you fought hard for me. I love y’all."
Finally - with his two final words - he seemingly motioned for the execution to continue, telling the guards: "Carry on."
While strapped to the gurney, the lethal concoction was injected into Mills' veins via two IVs. As he lost consciousness, a spiritual adviser began to pray over him.
As Mills' breathing became shallow, the drapes were drawn and witnesses were ushered out of the adjacent gallery.
Jamie Ray Mills was pronounced dead at 6:26PM.
In response to his execution, Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement: “Almost 20 years ago, the grandchildren of Floyd and Vera Hill, worried for their grandparents, filed a missing-person report only for police to discover the couple had been brutally and horrendously beaten to death
"The Hills’ lives were taken at the hands of Jamie Mills. The evidence in this case is overwhelming, and Mr. Mills is undoubtedly guilty.
“Tonight, two decades after he committed these murders, Jamie Mills has paid the price for his heinous crimes. I pray for the victims and their loved ones as they continue to grieve."
Prisons Commissioner John Q. Hamm also shared a statement from the family of Floyd and Vera Hill, which said: "For the past 20 years our family has been seeking justice [...] Justice has been served.
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