Muslim death row inmate's final words as he's executed by lethal injection after making unusual request

The last words of an Alabama inmate executed complete nan 1998 murder of a father-of-seven have been revealed aft unusually requested not to acquisition an autopsy. 

Keith Edmund Gavin, 64, was pronounced dormant astatine 6.32pm Thursday pursuing a lethal injection - nan Southern state's superior execution method - astatine nan William C. Holman Correctional Facility, authorities said. 

Gavin, nan 3rd inmate executed successful nan authorities this twelvemonth and nan 10th successful nan country, said: 'I emotion my family,' conscionable earlier nan sedative was injected. 

The Muslim inmate followed pinch a fewer words that were not audible arsenic he appeared to believe pinch his belief advisor beside him.

He had a digit lifted connected some hands successful what appeared to beryllium nan Islamic motion meaning Allah is nan only God. 

The decease statement inmate was convicted of superior execution for nan March 6, 1998 shooting decease of transportation driver William Clinton Clayton Jr., 68, erstwhile he stopped to retreat money from an ATM in downtown Centre. 

Clayton, who went by Bill, had conscionable vanished activity and was getting money to return his woman retired to dinner, according to a proceedings testimony. 

After receiving a decease sentence, Gavin spent years appealing galore times to debar nan punishment, but was ne'er successful.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said: 'Today, that justness was yet delivered for Mr. Clayton´s loved ones. I connection my prayers for Mr. Clayton´s family and friends who still mourn his nonaccomplishment each these years later.'

At astir 6.19pm a corrections serviceman performed a consciousness cheque - saying his name, brushing his eyelids and pinching his arms- which is done earlier nan last 2 narcotics are administered. Soon afterward, his breathing faded. 

Prior to his execution, Gavin asked nan authorities not to autopsy his assemblage owed to his devout Muslim faith.

While it is modular believe successful nan authorities of Alabama to execute an autopsy aft execution, Gavin asked done his lawyer to prohibit nan enactment pursuing his decease for belief reasons. 

On Friday, nan Alabama situation strategy agreed to forgo an autopsy connected him. 

'Mr. Gavin is simply a devout Muslim. His belief teaches that nan quality assemblage is simply a ineffable temple, which must beryllium kept whole,' his attorney's antecedently wrote.

'As a result, Mr. Gavin sincerely believes that an autopsy would desecrate his assemblage and break nan sanctity of keeping his quality assemblage intact. 

'Based connected his faith, Mr. Gavin is fiercely opposed to an autopsy being performed connected his assemblage aft his execution.' 

The decease penalty, besides known arsenic capital punishment, is typically reserved for particularly heinous crimes successful which a unfortunate is killed, but each authorities tin find what circumstantial circumstances make a execution eligible for a decease sentence.

During nan attempted robbery much than 2 decades ago, Gavin was connected parole successful Illinois aft serving 17 years of a 34-year condemnation for murder, according to tribunal records.

Prosecutors said he changeable Clayton, pushed him into nan rider spot of nan van he was driving and drove disconnected successful nan vehicle. 

An serviceman testified that he began pursuing nan van and nan driver - a man he later identified arsenic Gavin - who changeable astatine him earlier moving distant into nan woods.

A assemblage convicted Gavin of superior execution and voted 10-2 to urge a decease sentence, which a judge imposed. Most states now require a assemblage to beryllium successful unanimous statement to enforce a decease sentence.

In 2020, a federal judge ruled that Gavin had ineffective counsel astatine his sentencing proceeding because his original lawyers grounded to coming much mitigating grounds of Gavin's convulsive and abusive puerility successful Chicago.

The inmate grew up successful a 'gang-infested lodging task successful Chicago' wherever he lived 'in overcrowded houses that were successful mediocre condition,' U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre said. 

Bowdre added that Gavin 'was surrounded by supplier activity, crime, violence, and riots.' 

A national appeals tribunal past overturned nan determination which allowed nan decease condemnation to stand.

'There is nary uncertainty astir Gavin´s guilt for this heinous offense,' Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Thursday.

Clayton, a Korean War veteran, was a father-of-seven who continued to activity moreover aft retiring from a railroad company, according to his obituary published by The Birmingham News.

His son, Matthew Clayton, 54, who witnessed nan execution, said that his precocious begetter was a 'slice of Americana' who would sometimes activity 2 jobs to support his family.

'He was a bully man. He near down children and a woman who miss him, an extended family that mourns his loss.

'It's rather unfortunate that his last years were taken from him successful specified a sadistic way,' Matthew said, adding that his begetter 'did not merit to dice this way.' 

Matthew told USA Today that he remembers his begetter arsenic a 'quite ample man' that was besides 'a spot of a gentle giant.' 

He said his mother, who is now 94 years old, lives independently and is 'very patient and very vibrant.'

'It's genuinely been a blessing to person her astir for truthful overmuch of my life, peculiarly since my begetter was gone astatine a younger age,' Matthew said.