“Tonight, justice was served,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said, adding that James and Zelma Long were “victims of Carman Deck’s heinous violence.”

In Missouri, a man was executed for murdering an elderly couple during a robbery at their rural home almost 26 years ago.

Carman Deck, 56, was put to death by lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre.

In July 1996, he shot both James and Zelma Long in the head after stopping at their home to pretend to ask for directions.

Deck is the fifth person to be executed in the United States this year, indicating a downward trend.

Deck said he wasn’t surprised the Longs welcomed him into their De Soto home, which is roughly 45 miles southwest of St Louis.
“They’re country folks,” he told a detective, according to court records. “They always do.”

He was aware that they stored their valuables in a safe.

He drew a revolver from his waistband and ordered Zelma Long to unlock the safe and retrieve some jewelry once inside.

She also grabbed $200 from her purse and emptied a canister of cash.

Deck stood for 10 minutes after ordering the couple to lie face down on their bed, according to court records, considering what to do before shooting them both.