US executes 2nd man in a week; lawyers said he had dementia

The United States on Thursday carried out its second federal execution this week, killing by lethal injection a Kansas man whose lawyers contended he had dementia and was unfit to be executed.

Good good good morning.

We continue to follow the your time right now.... thursday: partly sunny, hot.

High: 87 thursday night: clear, warm.

Low: 68 friday: sunny and hot, calm.

High: 92 good morning i'm jon swaner.

We have breaking news for you.

The federal government has executed death row inmate wesley purkey.

He was pronouced dead at 8:17 this morning.

His exection had been scheduled for 7 o'clock last night.

Purkey was convicted of murdering 16 year old jennifer long.

Her family witnessed today's execution.

We'll have more on them later today on news 10 at midday.

Good morning.

We continue to follow the possible execution of federal death row inmate wesley purkey.

He had been scheduled for execution at the terre haute federal penitentiary yesterday.

We've just uncovered a document filed in federal court that the government has now set that exection for today.

News 10's jordan kudisch has been all morning long following this story for you.

She joins us live from the terre haute federal prison complex.

I've been outside the prison all week..

And we've seen a lot of this back and forth battle for these executions.

Right now let's go back to who wesely purkey is..

And why got himself sitting at death's door.

The department of justice says purkey raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl.

He then dismembered, burned, and dumped her body in a pond in 19-98.

Purkey's attorneys had argued he should not be executed.

That's because he did not have the mental ability to understand why he was being executed.

He reportedly suffers from dementia or alzheimers.

News 10 will of course follow the developments in this case.... we'll continue our special coverage for you throughout the day online and on-air.

For now, reporting live at the federal prison in terre haute, jordan kudisch, news 10.

Your time right now.... thursday: partly sunny, hot.

High: 87 thursday night: clear, warm.