John Middleton Executed: 'You're Killing an Innocent Man,' Murderer Wrote in Final Statement
John C. Middleton was put to death by the state of Missouri on July 16, 2014, after a court of appeals overturned a stay of execution. Middleton was charged with the murders of three people, and Governor Jay Nixon issued a statement saying that there is now a "conclusion" to the case and hopefully closure for the victims' families.
Middleton was scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday but was told that his execution had been stayed by a federal judge. There was reportedly new evidence that Middleton did not kill at least one of his victims because he was in the custody of police in Iowa at the time of the murder. Yet a court of appeals overturned the stay and Middleton put to death just 19 hours later.
In 1995, Middleton allegedly killed Randy Hamilton, Stacey Hodge, and Alfred Pinegar. He was a dealer of methamphetamine and killed in order to protect his drug deals. Middleton reportedly feared that Hamilton, Hodge, and Pinegar were going to flip on them and tell police about his deals in order to save themselves.
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"Twenty years ago, John Middleton murdered three people out of fear they would expose him as the drug dealer he was," Missouri's Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement announcing Middleton's death. "This evening, Mr. Middleton paid the ultimate price for his choices."
Middleton was given a single dose of pentobarbital, the drug of choice for executions, and pronounced dead at 7:06 p.m. CST.
"Tonight has brought a conclusion to a case that illustrates how methamphetamine can have such a monstrous impact on so many lives," Governor Jay Nixon wrote in a statement. "Alfred Pinegar, Randy Hamilton, and Stacey Hodge were murdered by meth dealer John Middleton to keep them quiet about the selling of this insidious drug in northern Missouri. Middleton's calculated killings in June 1995 would take three lives, and cause pain and suffering to those families. The juries acted appropriately in each of these murder trials in deciding that the fitting punishment was the death penalty."
"I ask that Missourians remember Alfred Pinegar, Randy Hamilton and Stacey Hodge at this time, and join us in keeping their loved ones in their thoughts and prayers," the Governor added.
Middleton did not give a final statement but left a note stating, "You are killing an innocent man."
