Wood's conviction of the murders of six women and girls in El Paso, Texas in 1987 was largely based on circumstantial evidence. He's set for execution March 13.

A 46-year-old man convicted of rape and murder is to be put to death by nitrogen gas in the southern state of Louisiana on Tuesday, the first of four executions scheduled this week in the United States.

Minutes apart, courts in the neighboring states of Louisiana and Texas each stopped upcoming executions, one on Thursday and another on Tuesday.

Jessie Hoffman's execution was cleared by a federal appeals court that vacated a preliminary injunction by a lower court.