Waiting to die: Lezmond Mitchell

News 10's Sarah Lehman served as a media witness to Lezmond Mitchell's federal execution.

The first of two executions this week took place today.

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

This is now the fourth execution to take place in terre haute.

That's after more than a decade of no executions at all in the country.

News 10's sarah lehman was our media witness for today's execution.

In your top story tonight... she joins me now.... she has more on the case and what she witnessed today.

The fourth federal execution took place earlier today here in terre haute.

Lezmond mitchell -- was the only native american indian on death row.

Lezmond mitchel has been on death row for more than a decade.

He was found guilty in may of 2003 of numerous offenses.

Including first degree murder... felony murder... and carjacking resulting in murder.

A jury convicted mitchell of killing 63 year old alyce slim and her 9 year old grandaughter tiffany.

In september of 2003 he was sentenced to death.

In august of 2020 mitchell was put to death by lethal injection in the terre haute federal prison.

I witnessed his execution....along with 6 other journalists.

Mitchell's execution was set for 6 pm eastern standard time.

Media witnesses were filed into the building just after 6.

Blinds were drawn up and in a green tiled room... strapped to a gurney with a blue sheet pulled up to his neck laid mitchell.

The only other people in the room with him were two federal employees.

One man asked mitchell if he had any final words.

Mitchell replied "no i'm good" a second man picked up the phone and asked if there was any impediments.

When it was reported there was nothing to stop the execution...the lethal injection was started at around 6:05.

Mitchell was pronounced dead at 6:29 eastern standard time.

Officials told us there were no inmate witnesses.

But -- there were witnesses from the victim's family.

After the execution daniel lee -- father of the 9 year old who mitchell killed... and his attorney gave a statement to the press.

Lee's attorney read the statement.

As we could hear sniffles and see lee wiping his eyes through the whole thing.

It said "i have waited 19 years to get justice for my daughter tiffany.

I will never get tiffany back but i hope that this will bring some closure."

He also thanked many groups and people who helped investigate his daughter's case.

Case.

Daughter's investigate his daughter's case.

You can find lee's entire statement on our website w-t-h-i-t-v dot com after the execution we also received a statement from mitchell's attorney.

It read in part... ""the federal government added another chapter to its long history of injustices against native american people.

The steadfast objection of the navajo nation and pleas for clemency from navajo leaders.

The trump administration executed, a navajo man, for a crime against other navajo people committed on navajo land.

They ended their statement by saying quote we hope that the future will bring greater respect for the sovereignty of indian nations and for the traditions of their people."

Sarah... from your vantage point... walk us through what happened in the execution chamber