Brandon Bernard was 18 when he was arrested for being an accomplice in a murder. He and others played a role in the death of a couple. Brandon was sentenced to death, living out 22 years on death row.

In that time, Brandon has become a changed man. He has embraced his religious side. He took up crochet, making blankets in his spare time. He also had become a mentor, trying to prevent kids from following down the same path he had. He had expressed extreme regret and remorse.

His family and legal team had been fighting for clemency, citing that at the time of his sentencing, the Government and the jury had an incomplete picture of the true events of the crime, with 5 out of the 9 surviving jurors now saying they don’t believe a death sentence is necessary. An appeal was given to the Supreme Court of the United States asking for the execution to be delayed, hundreds of thousands of people sent letters, called, and tweeted at SCOTUS and President Donald Trump, begging them to reexamine the case.

Last night, on the 10th of December, SCOTUS denied the appeal. Mr. Bernard was to be executed.

His final words expressed his remorse, “I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t.”

Brandon Bernard was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m.. He was executed by lethal injection, taking more than a minute for his breathing to slow to a stop.

The debate over the ethicality of capital punishment rages over America today, those against it outraged over the death of this man who showed complete remorse for the decisions he made when he was a teenager.