PHOENIX — A federal appeals court has denied a request by lawyers for an Arizona man facing execution next month to be allowed to make new arguments in an effort to overturn his death sentence in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of an 8-year-old Tucson girl.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday denied the request made on behalf of Frank Atwood, convicted in the killing of Vicki Hoskinson.
Atwood is scheduled to die on June 8.
Atwood’s legal team wanted to make three new arguments, but the appeals court agreed with lawyers for the state that Atwood’s lawyers did not meet the criteria to present new evidence in federal court.
The development comes after the state's clemency board rejected a plea on Tuesday to spare his life.
Arizona executed convicted murderer Clarence Dixon by lethal injection on May 11.
It was the first execution in the state since 2014.
Arizona Politics
Track all of our current updates on Arizona politics on our 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe for updates on all of our new uploads.
Get to know 12 News
At 12 News, we listen, we seek, we solve for all Arizonans. 12 News is the Phoenix NBC affiliate owned by TEGNA Inc.
12 News is built on a legacy of trust. We serve more than 4.6 million people every month on air, on our 12 News app, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and 12News.com.
We are committed to serving all of the Valley's communities, because we live here, too.
12 News is the Official Home of the Arizona Cardinals and the proud recipient of the 2018 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award for Overall Excellence.
Stay connected by downloading the 12 News app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store. Catch up on any stories you missed on the show on the 12 News Youtube channel. Read content curated for our Spanish-speaking audience on the Español page. Or see us on the 12 News Plus app available on Roku or Amazon Fire.