Joseph Savino was executed by the State of Virginia for the murder of Thomas McWaters
According to court documents Joseph Savino was just released from prison when his relationship with Thomas McWaters would go soft. Savino would beat the man to death with a hammer
Joseph Savino would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Joseph Savino would be executed by lethal injection on July 17 1996
Joseph Savino Photos
Joseph Savino Case
A New York man convicted of killing his male lover in Bedford County, Va., was executed by injection here tonight.
Joseph John Savino III, 37, a Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., corrections officials said. His execution was delayed for two hours while he made a last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court denied the petition. Gov. George Allen (R) released a statement saying he had decided clemency was unwarranted.
Savino had pleaded guilty to capital murder in the November 1988 killing of Thos McWaters, another New Yorker, who moved to Virginia after buying a farm in 1985.
In a final statement before his execution, a calm Savino said: “I’m sorry for what happened to Tommy McWaters. I did not kill {McWaters}. I’m sorry. The commonwealth has chosen to punish my family. I hope my family and friends know I love them. I will finally be at peace
Prison medical personnel had difficulty finding veins in Savino’s arm to insert the needle to carry out the execution. “They expected some difficulty with this subject because of his physical condition,” said David Bass, regional manager for the Department of Corrections. Savino had admitted to cocaine use.
Savino moved in with McWaters earlier in 1988 when he was paroled to Virginia after serving six years for robbery in a New York prison. Savino had known McWaters for seven years and worked for his construction firm. The two had “a domestic relationship,” according to court documents. Their relationship went sour, Savino said.
Although the 64-year-old McWaters supported him and gave him money, Savino said in an interview this week, he also hounded him for sex and routinely threatened to try to get his parole revoked if he didn’t comply.
On Nov. 29, 1988, McWaters was found bludgeoned to death at the home the men shared. The next day, police arrested Savino in Roanoke.
Savino’s execution was the third carried out in Virginia this year