Execution Halted for Man Convicted of Reston Murders

A federal judge in Alexandria has issued a temporary restraining order on the scheduled execution of Alfredo Prieto, the man sentenced to death for the 1988 murders of two George Washington University students and Reston natives.

Prieto was originally scheduled to be put to death tonight (Oct. 1) at 9 p.m., but the temporary restraining order was issued so the Virginia Department of Corrections can investigate a drug it planned to use as part of the execution.

A hearing regarding the execution drug is scheduled for this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Check out the restraining order filed to postpone the execution here.

Earlier this week, it was reported Texas had provided Virginia was three vials of the drug, presumably for this particular execution, the state’s first in more than two years.

Prieto and his legal team tried to claim an intellectual disability earlier this year to avoid the death penalty, but were denied when Governor Terry McAuliffe said he did not plan to intervene.

Patch file photo