By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, Mo. – The Missouri Supreme Court has set an execution date of June 17 for Reginald Clemons. He was one of four men convicted in the deaths of 21-year-old Julie Kerry and her 19-year-old sister, Robin. Both were pushed from the old Chain of Rocks Bridge in 1991.
Clemons' defenders say he confessed to the crime only after being beaten by police.
In 2005, Marlin Gray was put to death for his role in the crime; he was the last person put to death in Missouri.
Meanwhile, staff at the prison in Bonne Terre are preparing for Wednesday's execution of Dennis Skillicorn. He was convicted of the 1994 murder of Richard Drummond.
Skillicorn's attorneys sought to delay the execution so they could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the Missouri Supreme Court denied that request Monday.
The denial came several hours after a former inmate and ministers who worked with Skillicorn held a news conference in the Capitol asking for clemency from Governor Jay Nixon.