Texas Executes 500th Convict Kimberly McCarthy

 
Kimberly McCarthy, 52, was put to death by lethal injection for the murder and robbery of her 71-year-old neighbour Dorothy Booth.
She was the first woman to be executed in the US in nearly three years.
McCarthy was pronounced dead at 6.37pm on Wednesday, 20 minutes after officials at the Walls Unit prison in Huntsville began administering a single dose of pentobarbital.
In her final statement, she did not refer to the fact she was the 500th inmate to be executed or acknowledge Ms Booth or her family.
"This is not a loss. This is a win. You know where I'm going. I'm going home to be with Jesus. Keep the faith. I love you all," she said.
She looked towards her witnesses - her lawyer, her spiritual adviser and her ex-husband Aaron Michaels, the founder of the New Black Panther Party - as she spoke.
As the drug started to take effect, McCarthy said "God is great" before closing her eyes.
She took hard, raspy, loud breaths for several seconds before becoming quiet. Then, her chest moved up and down for another minute before she stopped breathing.
The victim's friends and family said they were not aware of the milestone and their only focus was on Ms Booth's brutal killing.
"Five hundred is just a number. It doesn't really mean very much," said Randall Browning, Ms Booth's godson.
"We're just thinking about the justice that was promised to us by the state of Texas."
Donna Aldred, Ms Booth's daughter, read a statement to reporters saying her mother "was an incredible person who was taken before her time".
Texas has carried out nearly 40% of the more than 1,300 executions that have taken place in the US since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976.
In 1997, Ms Booth had agreed to give McCarthy a cup of sugar before she was attacked with a butcher's knife and candelabra at her home in Lancaster, south of Dallas.
Officials said McCarthy cut off Ms Booth's finger to remove her wedding ring.
Prosecutors said she stole the victim's Mercedes and drove to Dallas, pawned the ring for $200 and went to a crack house to buy cocaine.
Evidence also showed she used Ms Booth's credit cards at a liquor store.
McCarthy blamed the crime on two drug dealers, but there was no evidence either existed.
Her ex-husband Mr Michaels testified on her behalf. They had separated before Ms Booth was murdered.