A man convicted of the 1992 rape and beating death of a woman has been put to death in Alabama's first execution in more than two years.
Authorities said 43-year-old Christopher Eugene Brooks received a lethal injection in a procedure starting at 6:06 p.m. local time Thursday at a state prison in Atmore. Corrections Department spokesman Bob Horton said Brooks was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m.
Brooks was condemned for the slaying of 23-year-old Jo Deann Campbell on New Year's Eve of that year. Prosecutors said Campbell was beaten in her apartment with a dumbbell and sexually assaulted.
Alabama's last execution was in 2013. Brooks' execution was the first using Alabama's new lethal drug combination featuring the sedative midazolam.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute request to stop Thursday's execution.
Brooks' attorney had asked the U.S. Supreme Court for the stay, arguing that Alabama's new lethal drug combination needed further scrutiny.
Brooks had been in a nearby holding cell since Tuesday. He requested two peanut butter cups and a soft drink for his final meal.
An official said Brooks had been visited by three attorneys, two friends and a clergy member ahead of his execution.
