A man convicted of a murder that happened less than two years ago is dead following South Dakota’s first execution in five years.
Last fall, prison inmate Eric Robert was found guilty of killing a corrections officer at the state penitentiary in April of 2011. Monday night, prison staff injected pentobarbital into Robert’s body to kill him.
Michael Winder with the South Dakota Department of Corrections says the lethal injection began at 10:01 p.m.
"The injections were completed at 10:04 p.m," Winder says. "Time of death was pronounced at 10:24 p.m., and the curtains to the witness rooms were closed at 10:25 p.m."
State officials, members of the victim’s family and Robert’s attorney witnessed the execution. Robert could have fought his conviction and sentence but waived those appeals.
His partner in the failed escape attempt and killing sits on death row. Rodney Berget also admitted to beating the corrections officer. Berget is now appealing his death sentence.
