TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two Arizona death row inmates will be scheduled for execution after Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a motion to move forward with the executions, which would start the process that would lead to execution warrants.
On Tuesday, AG Brnovich informed the Arizona Supreme Court of the state's intent to seek warrants of execution for death row inmates Frank Atwood and Clarence Dixon, according to a release from the AGO. The court was asked to schedule a meeting to administer the process.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is asking the Arizona Supreme Court to establish a firm briefing schedule before filing the execution warrants to ensure the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR ) can comply with its testing and disclosure obligations regarding the drug to be used in the executions.
If the court approves the proposed schedule, then the AGO will file execution warrants 16 days before the court’s conference date. From there both inmates will get one day to respond.
Since both murders occurred before November 23, 1992, both Atwood and Dixon may select either lethal injection or gas under ARS 13-757, according to the AGO.
It has been nearly seven years since Arizona has carried out an execution, the AGO says. If the court grants the motion to move forward with the executions, the state will then have 35 days to carry out those executions.
“Capital punishment is the law in Arizona and the appropriate response to those who commit the most shocking and vile murders,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “This is about the administration of justice and ensuring the last word still belongs to the innocent victims who can no longer speak for themselves.”
Atwood was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson.
On September 17, 1984 Vicki Lynne was riding her bicycle home when Atwood kidnapped and killed her. He left her body in the desert, then fled to Texas, where he was later arrested, according to the AGO.
In April 1985, Vicki Lynne's body was found by a hiker in the desert.
Previously, in 1984, Atwood was convicted of kidnapping, which the crime was committed at separate times, and against two different children in California.
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