79-year-old executed after 50 years on death row in Mississippi!

79-year-old executed after 50 years on death row in Mississippi!

On June 25, 2025, Richard Jordan, a 79-year-old man, was executed by poisonous injection in Mississippi. This happened after almost 50 years in the “Couloir des Morts”. Jordan was convicted of the murder of Edwina Marter in 1976. With this execution, the state of Mississippi marked the first execution since December 2022 and the second in the United States this week, following the execution of Thomas Gudinas in Florida. To date, 25 executions have been carried out in the United States this year, with the majority (20) being carried out by injection and only three cases using the sometimes controversial method of nitrogen inhalation.

The execution of Richard Jordan is not only a personal fate, but also sheds light on the far-reaching debate about the death penalty in the USA. How Wikipedia reports, the death penalty is legal in 27 of the 50 states and remains a controversial issue in American society. Despite the fact that 23 states have now abolished the death penalty, it is still widespread in Mississippi, Texas and other southern states. Many of the executions involve considerable financial costs, which can be up to ten times higher than that of a lifelong prison stay.

The long wait in the couloir of death

Jordan served the longest sentence for a death row prisoner in Mississippi. During this time he filed several legal appeals, most of which were unsuccessful. The last attempt was rejected in October 2024. His attorney, Krissy Nobile, argued that Jordan did not have access to an independent psychologist and that his experiences as a Vietnam veteran may have severely affected his mental health. This aspect of his life was not adequately considered during his trial, which bolstered the pardon petition, which was supported by, among others, Franklin Rosenblatt, president of the National Justice Institute.

A martyr in the death penalty debate?

Jordan has challenged his execution, claiming that the execution protocol used was inhumane. In recent decades, many have expressed growing skepticism about the death penalty, as well BFM TV reported. Much of the population has turned away from the practice, and 23 states already had no executions in 2021.

The discussion about the death penalty in the USA highlights deep-rooted social and legal questions. How La Dépêche In summary, the topic has become increasingly controversial in recent decades, especially at a time when more and more states are relying on moratoriums or abolishing the death penalty entirely.