Rodney Berget was convicted of killing a Sioux Falls prison guard during an escape attempt. Picture: Elisha Page/Argus LeaderA death row inmate who was executed by lethal injection has used his final words to crack a joke.
An Amercian inmate who was sentenced to lethal injection for killing a prison guard in 2011, has used his final words to make a joke.
Rodney Berget (56) received a lethal dose of an undisclosed drug in the US state of South Dakota, on Monday evening local time.
Berget’s execution marked South Dakota's first execution since 2012 and was the state’s fourth since it reinstituted the death penalty in 1979.
The execution was originally scheduled to be carried out at 1.30pm local time, but was delayed for hours while the US Supreme Court weighed a last-minute legal bid — based on claims Berget was intellectually disabled and legally exempt from punishment — to block it.
But it was to no avail.
Media witness Don Jorgensen said when Berget was asked if he had any last words, he first joked: “Sorry for the delay, I got caught in traffic.”
He was soft-spoken and appeared emotional. He also thanked people for their support and mentioned two by name.
“I love you, and I’ll meet you out there,” Berget said, while appearing to give a peace sign with his left hand.
Berget chose not to apologise for any of his crimes.
