79-year-old Richard Jordan has been on death row for 48 years for the 1976 kidnapping and killing of Edwina Marter. Following a break since December 2022, Mississippi resumes the death penalty with his execution. According to Jordan’s defense, PTSD from three combat tours in Vietnam had an impact on his behavior. As of right now, 23 states in the US have abolished the death penalty, demonstrating the country’s ambivalent attitude.
Mississippi’s Execution Methods and History
Mississippi has employed various execution methods since becoming a state in 1817. Beginning with hanging, the state progressed to using a portable electric chair, becoming the first state to implement this mobile solution. The gas chamber was used from 1954 to 1989 before being officially discontinued in 1998. In 2002, Tracy Hansen became the first person executed by lethal injection in Mississippi, marking a significant shift in execution protocols.
Current Mississippi law provides four execution methods: intravenous injection, nitrogen hypoxia, electrocution, and firing squad. Intravenous injection remains the preferred method. A notable change occurred on July 1, 2022, when authority to determine execution methods shifted from inmates to the Commissioner of Corrections, removing the condemned person’s choice in how their sentence is carried out.
A Mississippi man who has been on Death Row for nearly 50 years is to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, one of two executions in the United States this week.https://t.co/hkTGbdvJWQ
— Abogado.com.ph (@Abogado_PH) June 25, 2025
Jordan’s Case and Final Appeals
Richard Jordan was sentenced to death in 1977 for kidnapping and murdering Edwina Marter in 1976. Despite multiple appeals and delays spanning nearly five decades, Jordan has exhausted his legal options. His clemency petition seeking a meeting with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has not been granted. The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied his final petition, clearing the way for Wednesday’s execution.
“Richard Jordan, Mississippi’s longest-serving death-row inmate, requested chicken tenders, fries, strawberry ice cream, and a root beer float for his last meal ahead of his scheduled execution Wednesday, June 25.” – Marc McClure
Jordan’s defense has argued that his actions were influenced by post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his three combat tours in Vietnam. This defense has failed to sway courts or gain traction with Edwina Marter’s family. Eric Marter, the victim’s son, has openly dismissed Jordan’s PTSD claims and expressed frustration over the lengthy legal process that has postponed justice for nearly half a century.
DEATH ROW
Well, Mississippi executed a murderer last night. He had been on death row for 49 years. So instead of dispensing justice, the state of Mississippi gave him free medical, and three hots and a cot. https://t.co/xZuCYYM3ab— Newt Livesay (@NewtLIvesay) June 26, 2025
Capital Punishment in America Today
The death penalty landscape in America remains deeply divided. Currently, 23 states have abolished capital punishment entirely, while three others (California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania) maintain moratoriums. This patchwork of policies reflects the ongoing national debate about whether the death penalty serves as an effective deterrent or constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
Legal challenges against execution methods persist nationwide. In 2015, a federal judge blocked Mississippi from using certain sedatives in lethal injections due to concerns about cruel and unusual punishment. More recently, the use of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method has drawn criticism from United Nations experts who consider it cruel and inhumane.
The political dimension of capital punishment remains significant. President Donald Trump has advocated for expanding the death penalty “for the vilest crimes,” maintaining his stance that capital punishment is appropriate for severe offenses. This position contrasts with growing concerns about the risk of executing innocent people, highlighted by cases like Curtis Flowers, who was exonerated in 2020 after spending 23 years on Mississippi’s death row.