39-year-old Mark Dean Schwab was the first person to be executed in Florida in more than 18 months.

Schwab was convicted of the rape and murder of an 11-year-old boy in 1992.

Schwab's execution was scheduled for November 2007, but was given a reprieve by the US Supreme Court, while they considered if lethal injection was constitutional.

This comes after the botched execution of Angel Diaz in December of 2006, which lead to a commission investigation into the administering of lethal injection.

The US Supreme Court and the commission appointed by former Governor Bush found that death by lethal injection does not violate the 8th Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

According to 8th Judicial District Judge Stan Morris, the commission which studied lethal injection made recommendations to the Department of Corrections.

Florida Department of Corrections Spokesperson Gretl Plessinger said that a consciousness check would be done following the first dose of anthestisia.

"Inmate Schwab will be shaken. They'll call his name, brush their fingers against his eye lash," said Plessinger.

Schwab was the first to receive an anesthetic rather than a paraylitic, and the third to receive a barbituat, which given in a large enough dose will cause death.

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