Man who shot dead estranged wife while holding couple's young baby is executed despite daughter's pleas

A man who murdered his estranged wife while holding their daughter in his arms has been executed in Alabama.

Leroy Whtie, 52, was killed by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore last night.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had briefly raised his hopes by granting a temporary stay of execution.

But hours later the Court denied the request for a stay and White died at 9.10pm, local time.

White murdered his Ruby White, a first grade teacher, in 1988 in a domestic dispute.

He shot her once and when she did not die immediately, he reloaded his rifle, picked up the couple's 17-month-old daughter, and fired again from point-blank range.

He also shot his sister-in-law Stella Lanier four times.

No members of the victim's family witnessed the execution - although his daughter Latonya, pleaded for clemency.

'For a long time I was very angry with my father for taking my mother away from me,' she wrote to the court.

'I now have a very close relationship with my father. I am deeply opposed to my father's execution. Executing my father will do nothing to bring my mother back.''

The victim's sister, Stella Lanier Walker, and two sons from a previous marriage had also signed affidavits asking the courts to spare his life.

Two of White's friends watched his execution.

His last meal was a cheeseburger from the vending machine plus a V8 juice, pork skins and a Yoo-hoo drink, which he bought himself, a spokesman said.

Death scene: Two friends were the only members of the public to attend the execution at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama

White's attoeys said their client had deserved more time for appeal because his previous lawyers did not notify him that a U.S. district court had tued down an appeal, which caused him to miss a crucial filing deadline.

White was executed 'because he was too poor to get the legal assistance he needed at trial and thereafter for his post-conviction appeals,' said his lawyer Bryan Stephenson.

'This is a case where the trial prosecutors did not believe the death penalty was appropriate, the jury did not believe the death penalty was appropriate, and the victim's family does not believe the death penalty is appropriate,' said Stephenson.

Court documents showed the trial jury recommended life without parole. Stephenson said Lanier had also pleaded with Alabama goveor Bob Riley for clemency.

With 30 executions carried out in 2010, Alabama ranked third last year in number of executions, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Texas far exceeded all other states with 269 executions in 2010, with Oklahoma second with 73.