The State of Nebraska's execution of Carey Dean Moore hangs in the balance as a court hears a challenge to stop the execution.
On Friday, federal judge will hear the challenge, which comes from a drug maker who says their product will be used in the lethal injection cocktail next Tuesday. The German pharmaceutical company is against using their drugs for use in capital punishment.
As the courts decide his fate, Moore has said that he is ready to die and doesn't want to stop the proceedings. The 60 year old is the longest serving inmate on death row in the country, at 38 years. The state has set seven execution dates before, with each one of them being stopped by the courts.
Moore's pen pal of twenty years says that Moore had made peace with his fate, and is ready to face the lethal injection. In the late 90's, Moore received a letter in his death row cell in Lincoln. It came from Billy Dickson, an Omaha man, who tells 6 News that he wanted to share his Christian faith. "I'm a follower of Christ and I wanted to encourage him and to share with him and to help him in their faith."
Moore would write Dickson back, sparking a relationship between two men from very different worlds. Now, their relationship is set to come to a close with Moore's pending execution. "He wants it to go through. So, as sad as I will be not to correspond with him, I think his wishes should be granted."
Dickson said Moore is sorry and hopes that his death brings closure. "I can't speak for them, and don't pretend to speak for them, but I'm hoping that by him being executed that it will bring some peace to the victims' families."
Dickson said he will not attend the execution of his pen pal.
Up to now, state officials have refused to identify the source of the four drugs to be used in the lethal injection protocol. The federal judge may force their hand Friday afternoon.
A delay in the execution could keep the state from every executing Moore because officials can't purchase more of the lethal injection drugs. Corrections Director Scott Frakes said in a sworn statement Thursday the pharmacy that supplied Nebraska's current batch of drugs is unwilling to sell the state any more. He says he has contacted at least 40 potential suppliers, and only the current supplier would provide them.