Mississippi executes convicted killer; state's first execution

PARCHMAN, Miss. -- A 39-year-old man convicted of gunning down a state trooper in 1987 was put to death by injection Wednesday in Mississippi's first execution in 13 years.

Tracy Alan Hansen was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m.

Hansen fatally shot Bruce Ladner after the trooper pulled him over for speeding. Ladner was shot once in the shoulder and once in the back as he lay face down on the roadside.

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove denied clemency for Hansen on Tuesday, saying the death sentence was justified. Before the execution, he asked residents to pray for the Ladner family and for Hansen.

"Anytime you have a decision of this magnitude, certainly it's a tough decision," said Musgrove, a death penalty supporter.

No members of Hansen's family asked to attend the execution.