Brandon Astor Jones, 72, was executed on Wednesday in the state of Georgia, after being sentenced to the death penalty a full 36 years ago.

Jones, together with Van Roosevelt Solomon, were convicted of robbing an Atlanta store in 1979 and killing the store manager Roger Tackett during the heist.

Solomon was executed back in 1985, but Jones has spent the intervening years in jail awaiting execution.

On Wednesday morning the wait came to an end, as he was given a lethal injection at a prison in Jackson, Georgia. He declined to make a final statement, but agreed to have a prayer read.

Around 60 people have been handed the death penalty in Georgia since 1976, while dozens more are on death row.