Arkansas carries out first double execution in U.S. since 2000

Arkansas carried out back-to-back executions on Monday night, becoming the first U.S. state to put more than one inmate to death on the same day in 17 years.

Convicted killer Marcel Williams, 46, was pronounced dead around 10:00 CDT (0333 GMT), a little more than three hours after state officials executed another murderer, 52-year-old Jack Jones.

The two men were among eight that the state had initially planned to execute over the course of 11 days this month, prompted by the impending expiration date of the state's supplies of midazolam, a sedative used as part of the three-drug protocol.

Four of those executions have been put on hold by court order.

Jones was convicted of raping and killing Mary Phillips, 34, in 1995 and trying to murder her 11-year-old daughter. He also was convicted of rape and murder in Florida.

Williams was convicted of the 1997 kidnapping, rape and murder of 22-year-old Stacy Errickson. He also abducted and raped two other women.

"After more than 20 years, justice has prevailed" for Errickson's family, Governor Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.