Arizona execution on track after court challenges fail

By BOB CHRISTIE
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The planned execution of an Arizona man remains on track after two last-minute court efforts ended without decisions that would sidetrack the state from putting 66-year-old Clarence Dixon to death. The state Supreme Court on Monday declined to overturn a lower court ruling that found Dixon is competent to be put to death. And Dixon’s lawyers dropped a challenge in federal court to the drug the state planned to use after agreeing that a new batch mixed by a pharmacist negated their argument that the drugs had expired. Dixon was convicted of the 1978 murder of 21-year Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. Her older sister watched Monday’s federal court proceedings and plans to watch the execution Wednesday.