Florida executes convicted killer of three

RAIFORD, Fla., Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A 53-year-old man convicted of killing three Florida women was executed by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to get involved.

Oscar Bolin Jr., the first person to be executed in the United States in 2016, was sentenced to death in the 1986 killings of two of the three women. Gov. Rick Scott signed Bolin's death warrant in October for the murder of Teri Lynn Matthews, who was abducted from a post office, raped, beaten and stabbed to death on Dec. 5, 1986.

Bolin was pronounced dead at 10:16 p.m. after eating a final meal of rib-eye steak, baked potato, lemon meringue pie and Coca-Cola and meeting with his wife, Rosalie, who married him when he was already on death row.

His execution was scheduled for 6 p.m. but was delayed while state officials awaited word from the Supreme Court about an appeal filed earlier in the day. At 9:40 p.m., the stay was rejected without explanation.

Among the 40 people who attended the execution was Matthews' mother Kathleen Reeves, who said she was relieved Bolin was executed.

"I no longer have to worry and wonder if we would have to endure another trial or appeal," she said.