Alabama executes Michael Wayne Eggers

The state of Alabama on Thursday executed 50-year-old Michael Wayne Eggers for the 2000 murder of 67-year-old Bennie Francis Murray.

Eggers was pronounced dead at 7:29 p.m. The execution began at 6:54 p.m.

When asked if he had any last words, Eggers replied "No ma'am." A few minutes later, he appeared to give a thumbs-up gesture to the room where five family and friends sat. 

A witness in the observation room held up his thumb, index and pinkie fingers, a sign language symbol for "I love you."

The execution proceeded despite petitions from Eggers' former attorneys this week, which argued he was mentally ill and "delusional" when he dropped his appeals and petitioned the court for an execution date. 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied the stay request around 5:30 p.m. 

“Michael Eggers showed no mercy towards his victim, his former employer, Bennie Francis Murray, who donated much of her personal time to helping him find a new job," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement Thursday night. "On the night of her murder, Mrs. Murray gave Eggers a lift to pick up his car. Instead of showing her gratitude, Eggers rewarded her kindness by brutally beating and strangling her. He even returned to the scene of the crime to make sure she was dead. After 18 years of waiting, justice has finally been served tonight for the Murray family.”

After Eggers began to show signs of heavy breathing, staff conducted a consciousness test around 7:03 p.m. Staff repeated "Inmate Eggers" loudly, twice, did an eyelid check and pinched his upper left arm. Eggers' left arm and foot moved during the test.

There were no signs of response during a second consciousness check conducted five minutes later.

It was the sixth execution Alabama has completed since January 2016, and the first execution following the botched lethal injection of a prisoner last month.

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Prison officials said Eggers specially requested no attorney be allowed to visit him or witness the execution. He did not make or receive any phone calls on Wednesday or Thursday. 

Eggers ate the general population's dinner menu for his final meal, which consisted of chicken creole, dirty rice, turnip greens, creamed corn, cornbread and cake. 

On Wednesday, Eggers' son, brother, sister-in-law and five friends visited him at Holman. On Thursday, he was visited by 10 friends along with his brother and sister-in-law. 

Eggers' brother, sister-in-law, two friends and a spiritual adviser witnessed his execution. Two witnesses thanked and shook the hands of four correctional officers in the building following the execution. 

No witnesses from the victim's family attended. 

Eggers was convicted in 2002 of two counts of capital murder for the December 2000 death of Murray.

He had worked for Murray and her husband at their traveling carnival concessions business, according to court documents. 

On Dec. 30, 2000, Murray agreed to drive him to a vehicle he’d left in Jasper. After driving for some time in rural Walker County, Murray refused to go further. 

Eggers later told police he “let go” after an argument ensued and beat Murray unconscious within the truck before later strangling her to ensure she was dead. Eggers placed the body in a wooded area.

Murray’s vehicle, which Egger had taken to a car wash after the murder, was found days later at a truck stop in Franklin, Kentucky, according to newspaper reports. 

After police used phone records to track Eggers down in Florida in January, he led authorities to Murray’s body.

Walker County jurors in August 2002 voted 11-1 for the death penalty.

On Thursday, witnesses and media waited outside the prison about 45 minutes after the scheduled start time. Alabama Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said this was a normal delay for logistical reasons. 

Thursday's execution is its first of 2018 after the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm was called off last month. An execution team on Feb. 22 punctured Hamm’s legs and groin at least 11 times in an attempt to set an IV.

The execution was called off after he began bleeding from the groin, according to a doctor’s report commissioned by his legal team. Hamm had previously argued in court his veins were too damaged to access due to past drug use and treatment for lymphatic cancer.

Department of Corrections officials told the Associated Press the execution was aborted due to a “time issue,” as the death warrant expired at midnight.

Hamm’s attorney Bernard Harcourt on Tuesday called for Gov. Kay Ivey to issue a moratorium on lethal injection in the state until Hamm’s execution attempt could be further studied.

Ivey’s office has not yet returned request for comment.