Death Row murderer who WANTED execution takes 38 minutes to die from lethal injection

Barney Fuller died after a 38 minute execution (Picture: AP)

A death row prisoner who admitted murdering his neighbours has died after a 38-minute execution by lethal injection.

Barney Fuller, 58, was sentenced to death after pleading guilty to breaking into a home in Texas and killing the couple that lived there in 2003.

But yesterday, the double murderer was pronounced dead at 7.01pm after a final appeal was turned down by the state’s death chamber.

It’s believed that it took 38 minutes for Fuller to die, while witnesses including the couple’s two children watched on.

He was asked for a final statement before the injection, but simply replied: ‘I don’t have anything to say. You can proceed Warden Jones.’

And despite seemingly accepting his fate, he shouted: ‘Hey, you fixin’ to put me to sleep’, as prison officials administered the fatal injection.

Fuller was convicted of double murder

The 38 minutes that it took Fuller to die is considered to be longer than normal - but a prison spokesperson said that ‘each person is unique in how his body shuts down’.

In 2015, Fuller had told lawyers that he was ‘ready to move on’, and pleaded for his execution to be fast tracked as he was tired of ‘living in this hellhole.’

Fuller was jailed for the deaths of Nathan and Annette Copeland in 2003 - after simmering tensions came to a head.

The couple had previously complained to police that Fuller had shot their dog, fired at an electrical transformer powering their home, and fired at the property.

He was also charged with a terrorist offence after ringing the couple and telling them: ‘Happy New Year, I’m going to kill you.’

But as Fuller’s trial for that offence began, he went to the Copeland’s home - and fatally shot Nathan and Annette, and wounded teenage son Cody.

He called 911 only a few hours after the crime and immediately turned himself in.