MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WOWO) – Death row inmate Roy Lee Ward was executed by lethal injection early Friday morning at the Indiana State Prison.

Ward was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne in Spencer County. 

Ward’s conviction and death sentence was received in 2007, though the case was heavily reviewed over the years, and The State Parole Board issued a unanimous recommendation to reject his request for clemency.

The Indiana Department of Correction’s officials stated that the process of the execution began shortly after midnight, and 53-year-old Ward was pronounced dead at 12:33 a.m. 

There were no media present in the execution witness room, and specifics on who witnessed the execution have not been released to the public.