Arkansas prepares for first US double execution in 17 years

Arkansas will become the first US state in 17 years to hold two executions on the same day, if two inmates are put to death as planned on Monday evening.

Lawyers for Jack Jones and Marcel Williams are seeking stays of execution on grounds of poor health. Arkansas initially planned to execute eight inmates over 11 days before a drug used in executions could expire.

On Thursday, Ledell Lee was put to death in the state's first execution since 2005.



Another inmate, Kenneth Williams, is due to be put to death on Thursday, though his lawyers say he is intellectually disabled.

The remaining four of the eight planned executions have been placed on hold by court order. But the state's top prosecutor has vowed to overcome legal obstacles and haul the condemned back to the death chamber.

The last time a US state executed two inmates on the same day was in 2000 in Texas. Both inmates due to be put to death on Monday have admitted they are guilty.

Jones was convicted in 1996 of raping and strangling Mary Phillips and attempting to murder her 11-year-old daughter. He was also convicted of rape and murder in Florida.

Williams was sentenced to death in 1997 for kidnapping, raping and murdering Stacy Errickson.