N.C. Man Executed Hours After Stay Lifted

12/09/03

RALEIGH, N.C. - A man convicted of two separate killings in 1984 was executed by injection Friday, hours after the state Supreme Court lifted a lower court's stay.

Henry Lee Hunt, 58, was pronounced dead at 2:17 a.m. at Central Prison in Raleigh, corrections officials said.

A county judge delayed the execution earlier this week, ruling that the court should have time to review the type of drugs used in executions.

Hunt's lawyers argued that state law requires the use of two types of drugs � a fast-acting barbiturate and a paralytic agent. Lawyer Steven Holley said the state illegally added potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

But the court denied the bid. His appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court were later rejected, Gov. Mike Easley also refused to halt the execution, and Hunt's execution went forward.

Hunt, who maintained his innocence, was convicted in the 1984 death of Jackie Ransom, whose wife paid to have him killed to make her second marriage legal. He also was convicted of killing Larry Jones, a police informant prosecutors said knew about Ransom's killing.

Four other people were sentenced to prison for their roles in the killings.