American to be executed soon for killing two prison guards

Michael Tisius, 42, will be lethally injected at 6:00 pm (Wednesday, 01:00 am in France) at Bonne-Terre Prison, in the heart of the United States, unless the Supreme Court grants him a reprieve in extreme cases. According to court documents, he and his girlfriend went on June 22, 2000, to the Randolph County Jail, where he was previously incarcerated for a misdemeanor, on the pretense of bringing cigarettes to his former cellmate.

Clemency Request Rejected

After exchanging with the guards for several minutes, he pulled out a pistol and shot him in the head. One was killed immediately, the other received another volley of bullets. Michael Thisius then unsuccessfully tried to open his friend’s cell and escaped with his partner. A little further on, their car broke down and they were arrested the next day.

A young man was sentenced to death for murder during the first trial, which was overturned for non-compliance with the form. The verdict was confirmed during a second trial in 2010. Since then, Michael Tisius’ lawyers have vainly multiplied calls for his rescue, highlighting in particular the hardships of his childhood and the grip that his elders had on him. former cellmate.

On Monday, Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson denied a clemency request, saying the case “has been carefully and fairly handled at every stage of the trial.” On the same day, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal on the basis of his young age: 19 at the time of the crime, which, according to his defenders, should have spared him the death penalty.

She remains preoccupied with the latest inquiry: Michael Tisius’ lawyers say they recently discovered that one of the jurors in the 2010 trial was illiterate, which they believe should have disqualified him. The state of Missouri criticizes the delay strategy and asks the Supreme Court to give the green light to the execution. If it takes place, Michael Tisius will become the 12th convict executed since the beginning of the year in the United States, in just four states: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida.