Mississippi Executes Longest-Serving Man on State's Death Row for 1976 Killing
Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, was put to death by lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
PARCHMAN, Mississippi: The longest-serving man on Mississippi’s death row, Richard Gerald Jordan, was executed Wednesday.
His execution came nearly five decades after he kidnapped and killed Edwina Marter, a bank loan officer's wife, in a violent ransom scheme.
Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was put to death by lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman at 6:16 p.m. This marked the third execution in the state in the last 10 years.
Jordan’s case has been through a prolonged legal process, including four trials and numerous appeals.
His final appeals were denied without comment by the US Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon.
He was sentenced to death in 1976 for his crime.
According to court records, Jordan called the Gulf National Bank in Gulfport and demanded to speak with a loan officer, Charles Marter.
After being informed that Charles could not take the call, he hung up and used a telephone book to find the Marters' home address.
He then kidnapped Edwina Marter, taking her to a forest where he shot her fatally before calling her husband to demand $25,000.
Edwina Marter’s husband, Eric Marter, whose mother was killed when he was 11 years old, stated that other family members would attend the execution.
He expressed a sentiment that the execution should have occurred much earlier and showed little sympathy for Jordan.
Eric Marter emphasized the need for punishment, reflecting his personal perspective on the matter.
Jordan's legal representation argued that he was denied due process rights, specifically the right to an independent mental health professional who could assist in his defense, detailing his experiences with PTSD from serving three consecutive tours during the Vietnam War.
A recent petition for clemency also highlighted these claims, suggesting that Jordan’s war trauma significantly influenced his actions.
The Marter family remains unconvinced by these arguments.
Eric Marter reaffirmed that he understood what Jordan had done and reiterated that the primary motive was financial gain.
This case encapsulates a complex interplay of justice, mental health considerations in the context of past military service, and the prolonged legal battles surrounding capital punishment in Mississippi.
His execution came nearly five decades after he kidnapped and killed Edwina Marter, a bank loan officer's wife, in a violent ransom scheme.
Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was put to death by lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman at 6:16 p.m. This marked the third execution in the state in the last 10 years.
Jordan’s case has been through a prolonged legal process, including four trials and numerous appeals.
His final appeals were denied without comment by the US Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon.
He was sentenced to death in 1976 for his crime.
According to court records, Jordan called the Gulf National Bank in Gulfport and demanded to speak with a loan officer, Charles Marter.
After being informed that Charles could not take the call, he hung up and used a telephone book to find the Marters' home address.
He then kidnapped Edwina Marter, taking her to a forest where he shot her fatally before calling her husband to demand $25,000.
Edwina Marter’s husband, Eric Marter, whose mother was killed when he was 11 years old, stated that other family members would attend the execution.
He expressed a sentiment that the execution should have occurred much earlier and showed little sympathy for Jordan.
Eric Marter emphasized the need for punishment, reflecting his personal perspective on the matter.
Jordan's legal representation argued that he was denied due process rights, specifically the right to an independent mental health professional who could assist in his defense, detailing his experiences with PTSD from serving three consecutive tours during the Vietnam War.
A recent petition for clemency also highlighted these claims, suggesting that Jordan’s war trauma significantly influenced his actions.
The Marter family remains unconvinced by these arguments.
Eric Marter reaffirmed that he understood what Jordan had done and reiterated that the primary motive was financial gain.
This case encapsulates a complex interplay of justice, mental health considerations in the context of past military service, and the prolonged legal battles surrounding capital punishment in Mississippi.