Condemned man Roy Lee Ward has withdrawn the final two federal lawsuits that sought to delay his execution , effectively guaranteeing that his death sentence will be carried out before sunrise Friday at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City.

Ward’s decision ends months of last-minute litigation over how Indiana carries out executions and the lethal injection drugs the state uses. The dismissals close the window for courts to intervene, with the exception of last-minute relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s high court justices denied such efforts ahead of the state’s previous two executions.

The 44-year-old Ward was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne in Spencer County.

Gov. Mike Braun, following a recommendation

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