In a late night execution on Tuesday, Jedidiah Murphy, a Texas man, was put to death for the murder of 80-year-old Bertie Lee Cunningham in October 2000. Murphy had challenged the safety of the state's lethal injection drugs and raised questions about the evidence used to convict him.

As the lethal injection was administered at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Murphy apologized to the victim's family, expressing his hope that his execution would bring them closure. He then began reciting Psalm 34 before turning his head towards a friend and shouting, "God bless all of y'all. It's OK. Tell my babies I love them." Moments later, the lethal dose took effect, and Murphy appeared to drift off to sleep.

Hours before the execution, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an order that had delayed the execution. They also denied another request to stay the execution over claims that the drugs used had been exposed to extreme heat and smoke during a recent fire, potentially causing pain and suffering to Murphy.

Murphy's lawyers had filed a lawsuit seeking DNA testing of evidence presented at his 2001 trial, arguing that the evidence linking him to two robberies and a kidnapping - crimes used to persuade the jury that he would pose an ongoing threat - was problematic. The lawyers claimed that the identification of Murphy by one of the victims was questionable.

Prosecutors, however, argued against the DNA testing, stating that state law only allows for post-conviction testing of evidence related to guilt or innocence, not the defendant's sentence. They also criticized Murphy's request for a stay, calling it “manipulative” and stating that it should have been filed years ago.

Murphy had long expressed remorse for his crime, stating that he wakes up to it daily and never goes a day without sincere remorse for the hurt he caused. His lawyers also highlighted his long history of mental illness and his troubled childhood, including abuse and time spent in foster care.

The case drew the attention of several Jewish opponents of the death penalty, including law professor Alan Dershowitz. Murphy, who is Jewish, expressed his gratitude to Dershowitz and others who fought against his execution.

Despite the execution occurring on World Day Against the Death Penalty, an annual day of advocacy by death penalty opponents, public support and use of the death penalty in the U.S. has been declining in the past two decades. Texas, however, remains the nation's busiest capital punishment state. Three more executions are scheduled in Texas this year.

As of now, Texas has 196 inmates on death row, with 577 state executions having been carried out since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.