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Missouri court approves execution of schizophrenic man for killing St. Louis girl.

(Photo by ⁣Georgia Department of Corrections/Getty⁣ Images)

OAN’s Shawntel Smith-Hill
2:47 PM⁣ – Monday, July 31, ⁣2023

A 45-year-old Missouri⁣ inmate, Johnny Johnson, had been granted ‍a stay of execution for the 2002 murder of ⁣6-year-old Cassandra ⁤“Casey” Williamson in St. Louis County, however,‍ a new motion by a federal‍ appeals court reversed this decision on Saturday.

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The vacated stay comes amid a campaign by Johnson’s ‌attorneys and ‌mental health organizations to ​get the death penalty ‍overturned because of his mental condition.

In‍ a​ 7-3 ‍vote, the majority of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that ‌Johnson had shown ⁣signs ⁣of delusion in past medical examinations, but did not lack rational thinking and ⁣could understand his punishment.

“For ​these reasons, I conclude that Johnson has not made⁣ a substantial showing⁢ of a denial of a constitutional right,” said Eighth Circuit Judge ⁤Raymond Gruender. “I ⁣therefore concur in our denial of ‌Johnson’s application for a certificate‍ of ​appealability as well as the⁣ denial of the motion for a ‌stay of execution.”

Johnson is slated‍ to receive⁢ a lethal ‌injection on August 1st, as⁤ originally planned by the state. The execution ​will take place at the state⁤ prison‍ in Bonne Terre.

The inmate’s ⁢attorneys have​ expressed concerns‌ that his schizophrenia‍ and mental illness prevents him from⁣ truly understanding his crimes and the resulting consequences. Additionally, they cited a⁤ myriad of⁢ delusions ⁣in which Johnson claimed that his ‍death ⁣would bring about the “end⁣ of the world.”

The ​claims based on mental‌ health examinations came⁢ under⁢ heavy scrutiny⁣ from the attorney general’s office, which cited that ‌with ⁣proper ⁣medication, Johnson ‍was⁤ able to⁤ manage his mental illness, according to medical ​records.

Ultimately, The ​Missouri Supreme Court⁣ declined ‍to halt the ⁢execution in June.

Johnson has confessed to the 2002 murder, in which ⁢he ⁣lured the ⁣young Willamson ⁢to an ‌abandoned glass factory and attempted to ‍sexually assault her. She screamed for help and tried her hardest to break⁣ free. However, Johnson ⁤was still ‌able to murder the young girl. He then attempted to wash off her blood from his ‍clothes and body in ‌a⁤ nearby river.

Williamson’s ⁢mother has expressed enormous grief ⁣and frustrations that‌ she claims have affected her whole ⁣family since her daughter’s ⁤death.

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