Mississippi Executes Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Richard Gerald Jordan After Decades of Legal Battles
Mississippi Executes Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Richard Gerald Jordan After Decades of Legal Battles
Mississippi has carried out the execution of Richard Gerald Jordan, the state’s longest-serving death row inmate, bringing an end to a nearly 50-year legal saga. Jordan, 79, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary on Wednesday, following decades of appeals and a final clemency denial.
Jordan was sentenced to death in 1976 for the kidnapping and murder of Edwina Marter, a bank loan officer’s wife. His execution marks only the third in Mississippi in the past decade, with the last occurring in December 2022.
The final days leading up to the execution saw intense legal activity. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Jordan’s petition claiming he was denied due process rights. Simultaneously, a plea for clemency was made to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, arguing that Jordan’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), developed during three back-to-back tours in the Vietnam War, could have influenced his actions. However, Governor Reeves denied the request.
Krissy Nobile, director of Mississippi’s Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel and Jordan’s representative, highlighted that Jordan was not provided with a mental health professional for his defense, which she believes could have allowed the jury to consider his wartime experiences. Jordan was also part of a group of death row inmates suing the state over its three-drug execution policy, asserting it is inhumane. His execution concludes one of the most protracted capital punishment cases in U.S. history.
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