Story at a glance
- Ernest Lee Johnson, 61, was sentenced to death in connection to a triple-murder in 1994.
- In late August, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against Johnson’s claim that he’s ineligible for the death penalty because he is intellectually disabled.
- Missouri Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D) and Cori Bush (D) argued that executing Johnson would be “a grave act of injustice.”
The Pope and Democratic members of Congress are calling on the governor of Missouri to halt the execution of a man on death row who’s scheduled to be put to death Tuesday.
Ernest Lee Johnson, 61, was sentenced to death in connection to the murder of three people during a robbery at a convenience store in Columbia, Mo., in 1994.
In late August, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against Johnson’s claim that he’s ineligible for the death penalty because he is intellectually disabled. Johnson reportedly had about one-fifth of his brain tissue removed during an operation to treat a brain tumor. The court also denied his request for execution by firing squad because the drug used for lethal injection could trigger seizures.
In a letter to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) Friday, Missouri Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D) and Cori Bush (D) argued that executing Johnson would be “a grave act of injustice.”
“The fact of the matter is that these death sentences are not about justice. They are about who has institutional power and who doesn’t. Like slavery and lynching did before it, the death penalty perpetuates cycles of trauma, violence and state-sanctioned murder in Black and brown communities,” Cleaver and Bush wrote.
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“We urge you to correct these injustices using every tool available, including the power to grant clemency.”
The two lawmakers argued it would be unconstitutional to execute Johnson because he suffers from an intellectual disability.
In addition to the lawmakers, the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. sent a letter from Pope Francis to Parson last week requesting clemency for Johnson.
“This request is not based upon the facts and circumstances of his crimes; who could not argue that grave crimes such as his deserve grave punishments,” the letter states.
“Rather, His Holiness wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life. We ask you to consider that, when violence of all types is restrained, even the violence of a legal execution, all of society benefits,” the letter said.
Johnson’s execution will be the first execution in the state since May 2020.
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