Gov. Bob McDonnell today turned down Paul Warner Powell's bid for clemency, clearing the way for his execution scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday.
Powell, 31, is set to die by electrocution at the Greensville Correctional Center for the Jan. 29, 1999, capital murder of Stacie Reed, 16, in her Manassas home. Powell stabbed Reed in the heart with a survival knife.
He then waited for her 14-year-old sister, Kristie, to come home. He raped her, tied her up, cut her throat and left her for dead. But she survived to testify against him.
In a prepared statement this afternoon, McDonnell said, "After conferring with the appropriate parties, as well as thoroughly reviewing the clemency petition and the judicial opinions regarding this case, I find no compelling reason to set aside the sentence."
(This is a breaking news update. Check later for more details as they become available. Read a full account in Saturday's Richmond Times-Dispatch.)
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