In 2002, an American man was executed for killing an Indian and another man in Oklahoma

Smith was sentenced to death for two murders that occurred on February 22, 2002. (representative)

Houston:

A 41-year-old man was executed on Thursday for the 2002 shooting deaths of two people, including an Indian, in the US state of Oklahoma.

Michael Dewayne Smith was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester Township, KOCO-TV reported.

Smith was on death row for the Feb. 22, 2002, double murders of Indian store clerk Sharath Pulluru, 24, and Janet Moore, 40.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement regarding Smith’s execution, saying: “I pray today that the lives of Janet Miller-Moore and Sharath Purulu will be saved. The family brings a level of peace. It has been a long, difficult 22 years for their loved ones, and my heart aches for the pain they have endured.” “I hope the people of Oklahoma Know that Michael Smith’s victims were good, decent people who did not deserve this fate.”

“Shalas was a bright, generous young man who was the first in his family to come to the United States for education. He was fun to be around, an inspiration to his family, and had a bright future,” he said.

He added that the two men were murdered because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. “That’s all. I’m grateful that justice was served,” he said.

Last month, Harish Pulluru, Sharath Pulluru’s brother, issued a statement demanding that Smith be denied clemency.

“Sharath was a wonderful man, he was the first in our family to come to the United States. He is the reason I became a doctor. When he first came to the United States, I would wait in phone booths in India for the resident “I’m glad he called and cherish every conversation we have,” the statement was quoted as saying by the Force TV channel. “

“I saw the pain my parents endured every day. Sharat was a loving son, brother and uncle. He was the life of our family. We were a very close family and his sudden death in such a violent way affected us life.” From then on, we lived every day. We demand that leniency be denied,” Harish said.

Smith issued a statement before his execution: “My life hangs in the balance. Despite the new evidence, my attorney, Mark Henriksen, has informed my family that he will not be filing further appeals on my behalf. I am issuing this statement To demand that Mr. Henriksen do his job and fight for my life.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)