O’FALLON, Mo.—A Missouri man who killed a police officer still faces execution later this month after a judge denied a special prosecutor’s request to halt the death sentence.
Kevin Johnson is scheduled to die by injection on Nov. 29. The 37-year-old killed Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005.
Last month, St. Louis Circuit Judge Mary Elizabeth Ott appointed a special prosecutor to review the case. The special prosecutor, E.E. Keenan, filed a motion Tuesday night to vacate the death sentence.
But in a ruling Wednesday, Ott denied the request. The two-sentence order didn’t state why.
“We are analyzing our options and intend to appeal if we cannot obtain relief in the circuit court,” Keenan said in an email on Thursday. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these horrible events, particularly the family of Sgt. McEntee and the law enforcement community.”…