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Projected execution dates halted for 2 Arizona inmates

Frank Atwood murdered 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in September 1984. Atwood had been convicted in California of lewd and lascivious acts and kidnapping, committed at separate times against two different children. In May 1984, he was paroled from the kidnapping sentence. Atwood came to Tucson in September 1984 in violation of his California parole. On September 17, 1984, Vicki Lynne was riding her bicycle home after mailing a birthday card to her aunt when Atwood kidnapped and killed her. Atwood left her body in the desert and fled to Texas, where he was later arrested. A hiker found Vicki’s body in the Tucson desert in April 1985.
Posted at 6:52 PM, Jul 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-12 21:52:45-04

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court on Monday threw out the schedule that would lead to the execution warrants for two death row inmates, delaying the projected dates for their executions.

Prosecutors now will have to do more testing of the state's lethal injection drug before seeking execution warrants for Clarence Dixon and Frank Atwood.

The two are the first death row prisoners in Arizona to be eyed for execution since 2014.

Prosecutors asked the state's high court late last month to modify the schedule in their bid to get an execution warrant for Dixon after they revealed the shelf life of Arizona's lethal injection drug was half as long as thought.