Global Courant
The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a man to be executed in August for killing a 6-year-old girl.
Johnny Johnson, 45, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of Casey Williamson in suburban St. Louis. He will be executed on August 1 unless the court intervenes or the Republican administration grants Mike Parson clemency.
Johnson’s lawyers said on appeal that he is not fit to be executed because his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the connection between his crime and the sentence. The appeal said Johnson is delusional about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Attorney General’s office challenged the credibility of the psychiatric evaluation, saying medical records indicate Johnson is able to manage his mental illness through medication. The state Supreme Court agreed in a 6-1 ruling.
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The Missouri Supreme Court has refused to stop the execution of a man convicted of killing a child in August.
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Johnson was staying with friends in Valley Park, Missouri, in July 2002 when Casey went missing. Dozens of volunteers joined the search with the police.
The girl’s body was found in a pit less than a mile from her home, buried under stones and rubble. Johnson confessed to using stones and bricks to hit Casey after she fought back when he tried to attack her.
Missouri has executed three people this year, more than any state except Texas. The most recent was on Tuesday, when Michael Tisius was put to death for killing two prison guards during a failed attempt to free another man from prison.
