JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Supreme Court decided to overrule the motion to stop the execution of Kevin Johnson.
The Supreme Court made its decision in a 5-2 ruling.
Johnson was found guilty of murdering Kirkwood Police Sgt. William McEntee in 2005, when he was 19 years old. He was sentenced to the death penalty. Johnson, now 37, has been on death row for 18 years.
His family and supporters have protested to halt the execution. They had rallied at the Missouri State Capitol with more than 20,000 signatures on a petition to asked Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency of Johnson. Parson later denied the request.
Johnson will be executed Tuesday by lethal injection at a state prison in Bonne Terre.