John William King, a white supremacist who orchestrated the dragging death of black man James Byrd Jr. in one of the late 20th century's most notorious hate crimes — was executed in Texas Wednesday.
Details: The 44-year-old received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, for his role in the 1998 murder, which shocked America and led to the strengthening of state and federal hate crime laws.