Robert Ladd, a 57-year-old intellectually disabled inmate convicted of murder in 1996, was executed by lethal injection Thursday night. Ladd was pronounced dead 27 minutes after the drug was administered and left behind a final statement, in which he said he was “really, really sorry” to his victim’s sister. The Associated Press reported that Ladd said the drug “stings my arms, man!” and began taking deep breaths, then snoring. The Supreme Court declined to intervene in a last-minute appeal from Ladd’s defense.
