Curtains open, curtains close: Witnessing the execution of Michael Tisius in Missouri

On Tuesday evening, two guards at a Missouri prison clicked their flashlights off, the room darkening for a split second, and opened a set of dark blue curtains revealing the execution chamber. The witnesses leaned forward, staring at Michael Tisius, who was lying on a gurney with a white sheet up to his face. His head was turned to the left, towards his spiritual advisor who was seated next to him. Years of tribulation had led up to this moment. Tisius was neglected and abused as a child by his family. When he was 19, he met Roy Vance, who convinced him to help him escape from the Randolph Co...