Missouri Man with Schizophrenia Can Be Executed after Appellate Court Rules

The execution of a 45-year-old man from Missouri suffering from schizophrenia was reinstated on Saturday following an appellate court’s reversal.
Johnny Johnson is set to undergo a lethal injection on Tuesday at the state penitentiary in Bonne Terre for the 2002 killing and attempted sexual assault of 6-year-old Casey Williamson.
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court suspended the execution last Tuesday after debating the defendant’s mental competency. This decision was reversed 7-3 in response to a request from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for reconsideration.
The case will undoubtedly reach the U.S. Supreme Court prior to the designated date of execution.
Johnson’s attorneys have asserted that his schizophrenia precludes him from comprehending the connection between his offense and his punishment. They have also asserted that Johnson believes the devil will use his demise to bring about the end of the universe.
Missouri Court Rejects Execution Suspension Claim

In June, the Missouri Supreme Court denied the mental health claim to suspend the execution. The attorney general’s office contested the veracity of Johnson’s psychiatric evaluations and argued that his medical documents indicate he can manage his mental illness with medication.
In a chilling and malevolent act, Johnson lured the young woman to an eerie and forsaken glass factory, carrying her on his shoulders as they made their way to the desolate location.
Once there, he viciously attempted to sexually assault Casey, but her screams for help and desperate attempts to escape proved futile. In a heinous act of violence, he ended her life by brutally using masonry and large rocks to snuff out her existence, and afterward, he fled along the course of the Meramec River.
After Casey’s sudden disappearance, a frantic search effort was launched by first responders and volunteers, desperate to find her and bring her back safely.
Tragically, her lifeless body was found merely a short distance of less than one mile from her home, cunningly concealed beneath heavy boulders and scattered debris in a pit.
The discovery of her remains brought sorrow and grief to all, and Johnson ultimately confessed his guilt for these abhorrent crimes.
This would be Missouri’s fourth execution this year.
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Source: ABC News