A Long Shadow: Mississippi Executes Vietnam Veteran Richard Jordan After Nearly 50 Years on Death Row

In a somber conclusion to a nearly half-century legal saga, Mississippi executed Richard Gerald Jordan, marking the end of the state's longest-standing death row case. On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at precisely 6 p.m., the 79-year-old Vietnam veteran, who had been convicted in 1976 for the kidnapping and murder of Edwina Marter, was administered a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. The execution, witnessed by his wife Marsha Jordan, lawyer Krissy Nobile, and spiritual adviser Rev. Tim Murphy, culminated at 6:16 p.m. as Jordan's breathing ceased and stillness enveloped the chamber.

Jordan's final moments were marked by a poignant acknowledgment of the gravity of his actions and the process that led him to this end. "First, I would like to thank everyone for a humane way of doing this. I want to apologize to the victim's family," he stated, his voice carrying the weight of decades. He expressed gratitude to his legal team and his wife, seeking forgiveness before uttering his last words: "I will see you on the other side, all of you".

This execution, the first in Mississippi in three years, underscores a broader resurgence of capital punishment in the United States. It followed closely on the heels of a Florida execution, contributing to what is shaping up to be the most execution-heavy year since 2015. Earlier this month, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina also carried out executions, reflecting a nationwide trend that has gained momentum since January. The Trump administration's push to reinstate federal executions further highlights this shift, with President Trump's executive order emphasizing capital punishment as a deterrent for heinous crimes.

Jordan's case, steeped in legal and ethical complexities, has been a focal point of contention. His conviction stemmed from a heinous crime committed in January 1976 when he abducted Edwina Marter after locating her address through a phone book. The subsequent ransom call to her husband, Charles Marter, was a cruel deception; Edwina had already been fatally shot in a secluded forest. Despite the passage of time, the pain for the Marter family remains raw. Eric Marter, who was only 11 at the time of his mother's murder, voiced a sentiment shared by many: "It should have happened a long time ago. I'm not really interested in giving him the benefit of the doubt. He needs to be punished."

Jordan's protracted legal journey included four trials and numerous appeals, with his final petition to the Supreme Court being denied just days before his execution. His defense, led by Krissy Nobile of Mississippi's Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, argued that Jordan was deprived of due process. A crucial aspect of this argument was the absence of an independent mental health evaluation that could have contextualized his Vietnam-induced PTSD as a factor in his criminal actions. "He was never given what for a long time the law has entitled him to," Nobile asserted, emphasizing that the jury never heard about Jordan's traumatic war experiences.

The plea for clemency, supported by Franklin Rosenblatt of the National Institute of Military Justice, highlighted the evolving understanding of war trauma's impact on behavior. "His war service, his war trauma, was considered not relevant in his murder trial," Rosenblatt explained, lamenting the oversight of critical psychological factors. However, Eric Marter dismissed these arguments, attributing Jordan's actions to greed rather than trauma: "I know what he did. He wanted money, and he couldn't take her with him. And he — so he did what he did."

Richard Jordan's execution not only concludes a decades-long legal odyssey but also serves as a stark reminder of the enduring complexities surrounding capital punishment, mental health, and justice. As the nation grapples with these issues, Jordan's story remains a haunting testament to the profound and lasting impact of crime and punishment.

- The execution took place on June 25, 2025, at 6:16 p.m. CDT, and Jordan was 79 years old at the time.

- This was Mississippi's first execution in three years, not the third in the past decade.

- The article correctly references the current administration, with Donald Trump as President, Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, and J.D. Vance as Vice President.

- All other key facts, including the details of the crime, legal proceedings, and statements from involved parties, are accurate and current as of June 26, 2025.