Mississippi has just carried out the execution of its longest-serving death row inmate. Richard Gerald Jordan, 79, spent nearly 50 years waiting to die for a murder he committed in 1976.
He kidnapped and shot Edwina Marter after confirming her husband was at work. He wanted $50,000 in ransom but ended up killing her in the woods.
Before the execution, her family gave statements. One of her nephews read a message on behalf of her husband and sons and said: “Nothing will bring back our mom, sister, aunt and friend. Nothing will ever change what Jordan took from us 49 years ago.”
He also said: “Jordan tried desperately to change his ruling so he can simply die in prison. We never had an option. He took Edwina’s life, never thought about the many people who loved her and relied on her.”
At the time of her murder, her sons were only 10 and 3. Jordan had no concern for the heartache he caused.
He was executed by lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. local time. Right before his death, he turned to the family and said: “First, I would like to thank everyone for a humane way of doing this. I want to apologize to the victim’s family. I will see you on the other side, all of you.”
His final meal was chicken tenders, French fries, strawberry ice cream, and a root beer float. He never said he regretted what he did, just that he was sorry.
This was Mississippi’s first execution since 2022 and only the third in ten years. Other states carry out more, like Florida, which has already executed seven inmates this year.
One of them, Thomas Lee Gudinas, raped and murdered a 27-year-old woman in 1994. His last meal was pizza, fries, and soda, and he died just three minutes before Jordan.
Jordan spent half a century locked up, fighting his sentence over and over again. In the end, his victim’s family waited longer than anyone should have to.