The state of Texas on Wednesday executed a white supremacist convicted of leading the grisly killing of James Byrd Jr., a black man who was targeted in one of the most gruesome hate crimes in recent U.S. history. John William King, 44, was executed by lethal injection shortly after 7:00 p.m. local time at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. King was among three men found guilty in the brutal killing of Byrd, a 49-year-old father of three. King, who was convicted in 1999, maintained that he was innocent, claiming he was dropped off at home before the killing occurred. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was named after Byrd and Shepard, a gay college student who was tortured and killed in 1998.

Source: Huffington Post April 25, 2019 00:31 UTC