A man with ties to South Point, Ohio became the first inmate to be put to death since a U.S. Supreme Court review halted executions last year.

The Georgia pardons board denied William Lynd's appeal for clemency. The 53-year-old Lynd had a request for a stay before the Georgia Supreme Court denied. Witnesses reports Lynd died of lethal injection shortly before 8pm Tuesday night.

It was the first execution in the U.S. since the Supreme Court ruled last month that Kentucky's method of execution with a three-drug lethal injection is constitutional. Roughly three-dozen states use a similar method, including Georgia.

Lynd was sentenced to die for kidnapping and shooting his live-in girlfriend, Ginger Moore, in 1988, after the two consumed Valium, marijuana and alcohol. Prosecutors say Moore suffered a slow, agonizing death.

Reports say that 3 days after that murder, on Christmas day 1988, police say Lynd returned to the South Point area where they say he killed again.

Police say the victim was 42-year old JoAnn Starkey of Huntington who driving home to see her family.

Investigators say Lynd, who was driving another car convinced Starkey to pull over because she might be having car trouble.

Police say Starkey was shot three times. They say she was able to get away and drive several miles before collapsing. Reports say Starkey was taken to a Huntington Hospital were she was able to give details of the attack. She died several days later.

In 1991, Lynd returned to Lawrence County where he pleaded guilty murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.