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Supreme Court Rejects Appeal by Virginia Death Row Inmate

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Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a Virginia death row inmate who killed two people during an escape in 2006.

William Morva argued that he should have been allowed to present evidence that he wouldn't pose a risk of future violence if he was spared the death penalty.

But the justices on Tuesday left in place an appeals court ruling that rejected those claims.

Morva was in jail awaiting trial on attempted robbery charges in 2006 when he overpowered a deputy sheriff during a trip to the hospital. He used the deputy's pistol to fatally shoot an unarmed security guard and fatally shot another deputy during a manhunt the next day.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.