Arizona’s clemency board has declined to recommend to Gov. Doug Ducey that the death sentence of a man convicted in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of an 8-year-old girl be reduced to a lesser punishment.
The decision by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency marks one of the last steps before Frank Atwood’s execution in the 1984 killing of Vicki Hoskinson.
Atwood is scheduled to be executed on June 8 with an injection of pentobarbital.
Board members rejected Atwood’s claims that he is innocent of the crimes.
Atwood told the board that he hopes his death would give relief to Vicki’s family but maintained that he is innocent.