Utah executes black prisoner

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An inmate was executed by injection yesterday for his part in a robbery in which three people died. William Andrews, 37, died at the Utah State Prison after 18 years on death row and a flurry of late-hour appeals.

'Thank those who tried so hard to keep me alive,' Andrews said in a final statement. 'I hope they continue to fight for justice after I'm gone.'

Andrews was convicted with Pierre Selby of murder and robbery in the hold-up at a hi-fi shop. Five people were bound, forced to drink liquid drain cleaner and shot in the head. Three died, including two women, one of whom was raped. Andrews had insisted that he did not deserve to die because he was not the gunman. But prosecutors said that the drain cleaner would have killed the victims anyway. Supporters of Andrews argued he was a victim of racism. Both Selby and Andrews were black and were convicted by an all-white jury.