"Tonight justice was served," stated Missouri Governor Mike Parson. He also said that James Long and Zelma long were "innocent victims" of Carman Deck’s heinous violence.

Missouri executed a man convicted of the murder of an elderly couple in a rural home robbery nearly 26 years ago.

Carman Deck, 56 years old, was killed by lethal injection in Bonne Terre's state prison.

After he and his sister stopped by their house, pretending to be seeking directions, he shot Zelma and James Long in the head.

"Tonight justice was served," stated Missouri Governor Mike Parson. He also said that Mr. and Mrs. Long were "innocent victims" of Carman Deck’s heinous violence.

Deck is the fifth execution in the US this calendar year. This shows a steady decline.

This number was 98 at its peak in 1998. However, it dropped to 11 last year, the lowest since 1988.

Deck stated that he was not surprised by the Longs allowing him to enter their De Soto property, which is about 45 miles southwest from St Louis.

According to court records, he said that "they're country folk" to a detective. They always do."

He was aware that valuables were kept in safes.

He pulled out a gun from his waistband and Zelma Long opened the safe to take some jewellery.

She also took $200 out of her purse and pulled money from a canister.

Court records show that Deck sat for 10 minutes before deciding what to do with the couple.

Deck was taken into custody by police after Deck received a tip-off from his sister in St Louis County.

The Longs' decorative tin canister was found on the floor in his car.

Prosecutors said that he later provided a complete account of the murders in written, oral and audiotaped statements.

Deck was sentenced in 1998 to death, but the Missouri Supreme Court overturned the sentence due to errors made by Deck's trial lawyer.

In 2005, the US Supreme Court rejected Deck's second sentence. It cited prejudice from Deck's being confined in front of a sentencing court.

In 2008, he was sentenced to the third death row.

His clemency petition cited abuse, including sexual, he suffered as an infant and beatings that left him with welts.

Elizabeth Unger Carlyle Deck's lawyer, stated that Deck was raped in prison while he was being held for theft at the age of 19.

She said that "this experience transformed him into a nonviolent thief and the person who committed two horrible murders", calling his execution "unjustified and immoral".

The death penalty is concentrated now in a few states of the plains and southern regions.

Bill Lee, Tennessee's governor, stopped executions in Tennessee for the remainder of the year. This was to allow for a review of lethal injection protocols.

Oscar Smith was to be executed on April 21st, but the state oversaw a testing oversight that forced it to postpone his execution an hour earlier than planned.