Ohio teen's killer executed in Ohio

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LUCASVILLE, Ohio, April 18 (UPI) -- A man who killed a teenager in 1985 was executed at an Ohio prison Wednesday, officials said.

Mark Wayne Wiles, 49, was executed by lethal injection at 10:42 a.m. at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

While in the death chamber, Wiles read his last statement.

"The love and support of my family has sustained and supported me throughout the years," he said. "I love you all. Since this needs to happen today, I hope my dying brings some solace and closure to the Klima family and their loved ones. The state of Ohio should not be in the business of killing its citizens. May God bless us all that fall short."

Wiles was convicted and sentenced to be death for the fatal stabbing of Mark Klima, 15, Rootstown, Ohio, on Aug. 7, 1985.

After killing Klima, Wiles fled to Savannah, Ga., but turned himself in soon after.

Since his conviction, attorneys for Wiles have requested clemency for the man, saying he was remorseful and could never forgive himself for killing Klima. However, last week, Gov. John Kasich denied clemency for him, siding with the Ohio Parole Board's 8-0 recommendation.

Wiles' execution was the 47th in Ohio since capital punishment resumed in 1999.