Arizona has executed a man convicted of murdering two people in 1980.
Murray Hooper, 76, received a lethal injection on Wednesday at the state prison in Florence for the killings of Patrick Redmond and his mother-in-law, Helen Phelps.
Authorities said Hooper and two others forced their way into Redmond's home in Phoenix on December 31, 1980, and carried out the killings at the behest of a man who wanted to take over Redmond's printing business.
Redmond's wife, Marilyn, survived and testified against Hooper at trial.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that it took more than 20 minutes from the time the execution team walked into the room until they inserted IV lines in Hooper's right leg and right forearm to administer the sedative pentobarbital. Hooper chuckled several times while interacting with the team.
After the execution warrant was read aloud, Hooper said: "It's all been said. Let it be done."
Hooper then told his attorneys, friends and family, "don't cry for me—don't be sad."
He also turned to look at about 30 witnesses watching the procedure, made eye contact, smiled broadly and waved.
In the first few minutes after the warden read the death warrant, nothing happened.
"What are we waiting on?" Hooper asked.
The AP reported that at one point while trying to insert the IV lines, a medical professional was not able to find a syringe with the anesthetic used to numb the area, so one was brought in and used on Hooper.
"It will hurt less," the medical professional said.
"OK, all right," Hooper said, later adding, "I can't believe this," as he shook his head.
After the lethal drug began flowing, his fingers quivered, and he yawned. After that, he made no movement.
He was pronounced dead at 10:34 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
About 15 minutes passed between a warden announcing the execution was starting and when Hooper was pronounced dead, the AP said.
His execution was Arizona's third since the state resumed executions after an eight-year pause following criticism that a 2014 execution was botched and difficulty obtaining execution drugs. The state executed Clarence Dixon in May and Frank Atwood in June.
Also on Wednesday, Texas executed Stephen Barbee for killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son.
Two inmates, Richard Fairchild and Kenneth Smith, are scheduled to be put to death in Oklahoma and Alabama on Thursday.
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