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The state of Texas carried out an execution this week for a murder committed over thirty years ago. Lester Bower was America鈥檚 longest-serving death row inmate, and in that time he鈥檇 had seven stays of execution. It has been a highly controversial case, and follows Nebraska鈥檚 decision last week to abolish capital punishment - the first conservative state to do so in forty years. With growing concern about the methods used for carrying out the death penalty, campaigners for abolition believe they have the best chance in decades to remove capital punishment from the statute books across America. But are they right?

Photo credit: Firing squad execution chamber at Utah State Prison, AP