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| Virginia inmate Robert Gleason dies by electric chair | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| The US state of Virginia has used the electric chair to put to death a man who killed two fellow prisoners to speed up his own execution. | |
| Robert Gleason, 42, was the first Virginia inmate to choose electrocution over lethal injection since March 2010. | |
| The former tattoo artist pleaded guilty to a 2007 murder and subsequently killed two fellow prisoners, while waiving all his rights to an appeal. | |
| Virginia's governor says he will not intervene in the case. | Virginia's governor says he will not intervene in the case. |
| Authorities pronounced Gleason dead at 21:08 on Wednesday (02:08 GMT Thursday at the Greensville Correctional Center in the town of Jarratt. | |
| 'Urine-soaked sponge' | 'Urine-soaked sponge' |
| Gleason's lawyers had argued he had a long history of mental illness and his condition had deteriorated during a year in solitary confinement. | |
| Two other evaluations deemed him capable of making his own decisions. | Two other evaluations deemed him capable of making his own decisions. |
| He strangled his cellmate, 63-year-old Harvey Watson, in 2009, after tricking him into allowing his hands to be tied by pretending it was part of an escape plot. | He strangled his cellmate, 63-year-old Harvey Watson, in 2009, after tricking him into allowing his hands to be tied by pretending it was part of an escape plot. |
| According to court records, Gleason taunted his victim by stuffing a urine-soaked sponge into his mouth before killing him. | According to court records, Gleason taunted his victim by stuffing a urine-soaked sponge into his mouth before killing him. |
| While awaiting sentencing, he strangled 26-year-old Aaron Cooper. | While awaiting sentencing, he strangled 26-year-old Aaron Cooper. |
| Gleason said that he asked Cooper to try on a "religious necklace" through a wire fencing separating them. | Gleason said that he asked Cooper to try on a "religious necklace" through a wire fencing separating them. |
| He had said in multiple interviews that he had waived the appeals process because he knew he would kill again if he was not executed. | |
| "Someone needs to stop it," he told the Associated Press at the time of the first inmate murder. "The only way to stop me is put me on death row." | "Someone needs to stop it," he told the Associated Press at the time of the first inmate murder. "The only way to stop me is put me on death row." |
| He repeated threats to murder again in court on numerous occasions. | He repeated threats to murder again in court on numerous occasions. |
| Governor Bob McDonnell said in a statement on Friday: "Gleason has expressed no remorse for these horrific murders. | Governor Bob McDonnell said in a statement on Friday: "Gleason has expressed no remorse for these horrific murders. |
| "He has been found competent by the appropriate courts to make all of these decisions." | "He has been found competent by the appropriate courts to make all of these decisions." |
| Only 157 death-row electrocutions have taken place out of 1,320 executions since the US death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. | Only 157 death-row electrocutions have taken place out of 1,320 executions since the US death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. |