Missouri is set to go forward with the country’s first-ever execution of an openly transgender inmate Tuesday evening in the U.S.’ first execution of the year. Amber McLaughlin had pleaded with Gov. Mike Parson for a pardon after being convicted for the 2003 rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend and sentenced to the death penalty after a jury was deadlocked, leaving a judge to decide her sentencing. McLaughlin’s attorneys argued she suffered from child abuse and was remorseful in their letter to the governor, but Parson confirmed Tuesday the execution will go forward as planned, calling her a “violent criminal” in a statement. Missouri is one of only four states that has scheduled executions for 2023, alongside Oklahoma, Texas, and Ohio, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
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