The supreme court of the US state of Georgia has refused to grant a stay of execution to a convicted murderer.

William Early Lynd is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 1900 (2300 GMT), making him the first death row inmate to be executed since last September.

Executions were halted while the US Supreme Court considered whether lethal injections broke a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The court ruled last month that such executions were constitutional.

Mr Lynd, 53, was convicted of kidnapping and killing his girlfriend nearly 20 years ago.

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Doubts raised

Lethal injection is used by 37 of 38 American states which have the death sentence on their statute books.

The inmate is given three drugs - a sedative, another that paralyses all muscles except the heart and a final drug which stops the heart, causing death.

States began using the method in 1978 as an alternative to historic methods of execution such as electrocution.

Concerns were raised about lethal injection recently when it was discovered that some prisoners were taking up to 30 minutes to die instead of the usual 15.

A 2005 study also sparked controversy by suggesting the amount of sedation given might not be enough to stop the inmate feeling the painful effects of the other drugs - but would prevent him crying out.

The US Supreme Court case against lethal injection was made by two death row inmates in Kentucky.

(BBC)

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