Walter Stewart was executed by the State of Illinois for a double murder
According to court documents Walter Stewart would rob a jewelry store and in the process of the armed robbery would shoot three people with two dying from their injuries: Danilo Rodica and Thomas Pavlopoulos. Stewart would be arrested immediately upon leaving the store
Walter Stewart would be convicted and sentenced to death
Walter Stewart would be executed by lethal injection on November 19 1997
Walter Stewart Case
Two convicted murderers have been put to death by lethal injection in a double execution by the state of Illinois. Durlyn Eddmonds, who raped and murdered a 9-year-old boy in 1977, and Walter Stewart, who killed two people during a jewelry store robbery in 1980, were pronounced dead early this morning at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet.
In the second execution Eddmonds, who made no final statement, took two heaving breaths and gurgled briefly four minutes after being administered a lethal injection. He was pronounced dead by the coroner at 1:35 a.m. CST. Three members of Eddmonds’ family were present at the execution but none of them watched the exercise. The 45-year-old Eddmonds was given a sedative Tuesday. He spent his final hours phoning family members and watching television. Earlier this morning, Stewart was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. In his final words Stewart said, ‘I love Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. ‘ He then took two deep breaths prior to being declared dead.
No members of Stewart’s family nor family members of the victims were present at the execution. The 42-year-old Stewart was offered a sedative but declined. He also declined a religious service although he requested and received a Bible Tuesday night. Gov. Jim Edgar rejected clemency petitions for Eddmonds and Stewart late Tuesday, saying he thinks the two men deserved to die for their crimes. Eddmonds and Stewart were the ninth and 10th people put to death in Illinois since capital punishment was reinstated in 1977. —
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1997/11/19/Illinois-executes-2-convicted-murderers/1906879915600/