EXECUTION #25

Thomas Treshawn Ivey
Executed May 8, 2009 6:15 p.m. by Lethal Injection in South Carolina
25th murderer executed in U.S. in 2009
1161st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in South Carolina in 2009
42nd murderer executed in South Carolina since 1976
Summary:
Ivey and Vincent Neuman escaped from jail in Alabama, where Ivey was being held on a murder charge. They stole a truck and drove to South Carolina, ending up in Neuman's hometown of Columbia. There they kidnapped businessman Robert Montgomery, who was working downtown. Ivey and Neuman drove Montgomery to rural Orangeburg County. Neuman later testified that while there, Ivey shot Montgomery in the head and chest, leaving his body to be discovered by hunters. Two days later the pair visited a mall in Orangeburg, where a clerk accused them of trying to pass a stolen check. Officer Tommy Harrison responded to the call but let Ivey go when he realized Neuman was trying to use the check. Ivey told police a handgun in his pocket fired accidentally as he walked away, and the bullet ricocheted off the floor, hitting Harrison in the leg. Ivey said he then panicked, shooting the officer five more times. Neuman testified against Ivey and is serving a life sentence for murder in South Carolina.
Final Meal:
Pizza and donuts.
Final Words:
None.
The Execution
Ivey kept his eyes trained on the ceiling as the drugs were administered, blinking several times but never looking to his left, where several witnesses looked on. A few moments later he closed his eyes, exhaled several times and did not move again. He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.
Earlier in the day, prison officials said Ivey used the blade from a disposable razor to cut himself on the neck. The wounds were not considered serious, and officials kept him strapped in a chair until he was brought to the death chamber. Ivey wore a white bandage on his neck, and he was clad in a white paper gown during the execution. Inmates usually wear a dark green prison uniform during executions. Several straps across his chest and over his shoulders and arms kept Ivey immobile.