With a denial of clemency and a depletion of legal appeals, Harry D. Mitts was forced to face the inevitable on Wednesday, September 25.

After almost 18 years incarcerated, Mitts was executed. He was pronounced dead at exactly 10:39am by lethal injection of penobarbital at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. OH.

Mitts previously met with Ohio governor, John Kamish, in conjunction with the Ohio State Parole Board in an attempt to make one last plea for mercy. However, neither the Parole Board or Governor Kamish showed any remorse for Mitts’ crime.

According to the Huffington Post, on August 14, 1994, Mitts fatally shot 28-year-old John Bryant, and 44-year-old Sergeant Dennis Glivar. He also attempted to murder two other officers – 38-year-old Lt. Thomas Kaiser, and 38-year-old Officer John Mackey. The incident took place at Mitts’ apartment complex in a Cleveland, OH suburb. Mitts was involved in what initially began as a verbal altercation with Bryant, who was the black boyfriend of Mitts’ neighbor at the time. Mitts, yelled a number of racial slurs before fatally shooting Bryant and Glivar.

Ohio prosecutors made great strides to contend that Mitts’ actions were among ‘the worst Ohio has ever seen,’ as his rampage resulted in two deaths, multiple shootings, and several near-death threats that endangered the lives of more than 20 other bystanders. Mitts’ rampage placed everyone in the entire apartment complex in the way of danger. In the end, the prosecution prevailed as Mitts was convicted of aggravated murder as well as attempted murder. Mitts’ received the death penalty as a result of his conviction.

While Mitts’ lethal injection was administered in the form of pentobarbital, the state of Ohio has reached the expiration with the drug as the last dose was used in Mitts’ execution. While the drug is considered one of the most common and human methods of execution, Mitts’ death will force the state of Ohio to impose a new method to carry out the process in the future. The state’s new method of execution will be announced at a later date.

Image via Cleveland.com