Current:Home > reviewsAlabama agrees to forgo autopsy of Muslin inmate scheduled to be executed next week -前500条预览:
Alabama agrees to forgo autopsy of Muslin inmate scheduled to be executed next week
View
Date:2025-04-18 04:51:11
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama has agreed to forgo an autopsy on a Muslim death row inmate, scheduled to be executed next week, who said the post-mortem procedure would violate his religious beliefs.
Keith Edmund Gavin had filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to avoid the autopsy, which is typically performed after executions in Alabama. The Alabama prison system in a Friday statement said it had agreed to forgo the autopsy.
“No autopsy will be performed on Keith Edmund Gavin. His remains will be picked up by the attending funeral home,” the Alabama Department of Corrections said in an emailed statement.
Gavin, 64, is set to be executed July 18 by lethal injection at a south Alabama prison.
Gavin filed a lawsuit last month asking a judge to block the state from performing an autopsy after his execution. His attorneys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
“Mr. Gavin is a devout Muslim. His religion teaches that the human body is a sacred temple, which must be kept whole. As a result, Mr. Gavin sincerely believes that an autopsy would desecrate his body and violate the sanctity of keeping his human body intact. Based on his faith, Mr. Gavin is fiercely opposed to an autopsy being performed on his body after his execution,” his attorneys wrote in the lawsuit filed in state court in Montgomery.
His attorneys said they filed the lawsuit after being unable to have “meaningful discussions” with state officials about his request to avoid an autopsy. They added that the court filing is not an attempt to stay the execution and that “Gavin does not anticipate any further appeals or requests for stays of his execution.”
William Califf, a spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, said earlier this week that “we are working on a resolution” in the case,
Gavin was convicted of capital murder for the 1998 shooting death of William Clinton Clayton Jr. in Cherokee County in northeast Alabama. Clayton, a delivery driver, had stopped at an ATM to get money to take his wife to dinner when he was shot, prosecutors said.
A jury voted 10-2 in favor of the death penalty for Gavin. The trial court accepted the jury’s recommendation and sentenced him to death.
veryGood! (996)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Khloe Kardashian’s Daughter True Thompson Bonds With Cousin Dream Kardashian in Cute Videos
- 'It just went from 0 to 60': Tyreek Hill discusses confrontation with Miami police
- Khloe Kardashian’s Daughter True Thompson Bonds With Cousin Dream Kardashian in Cute Videos
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Two people hospitalized after explosion at Kansas State Fair concession trailer
- Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president after debate ends
- Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: 16 players to start or sit in Week 2
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Madonna shocks at star-studded Luar NYFW show with Offset modeling, Ice Spice in front row
Ranking
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Trump repeats false claims over 2020 election loss, deflects responsibility for Jan. 6
- BMW braking system recall of 1.5M cars contributes to auto maker’s decision to cut back 2024 outlook
- Hoping to win $800M from the Mega Millions? Here's exactly how to purchase a ticket.
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Judge allows a man serving a 20-year prison sentence to remain on Alaska ballot
- The MTV Video Music Awards are back. Will Taylor Swift make history?
- Kate Gosselin’s Son Collin Accuses Her of Tying Him Up, Keeping Him in Family’s Basement
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
The Latest: Harris-Trump debate sets up sprint to election day as first ballots go out in Alabama
Flavor Flav Warns Snoop Dogg, Pitbull After Donald Trump's Pet Eating Claim
Dodgers' miscues, Pete Crow-Armstrong push Cubs to win in Yoshinobu Yamamoto's return
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
Attorney for police officer involved in Tyreek Hill case speaks out
Frankie Beverly, soulful 'Before I Let Go' singer and Maze founder, dies at 77
USMNT introduces new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who will lead team to 2026 World Cup