Death row prisoner hangs himself three days before execution

A man condemned to death for fatally stabbing a neighbour during a burglary died after hanging himself in his cell, three days before his scheduled execution.

Billy Slagle, 44, apparently killed himself on Sunday less than two weeks after the governor of Ohio rejected clemency for him, despite a rare plea of mercy from the prosecutor.

His attorney, Vicki Werneke, said the defence was shocked and had hoped to stop Slagle's execution. The defence had no warning that he would commit suicide, Werneke said. Slagle was declared dead within an hour after he was found hanging at about 5am in his cell at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution south of Columbus, Ohio, prison spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said. The coroner plans an autopsy.

"He was in his cell alone. No other inmates are suspected to be involved," Smith said. "It does appear to be a suicide."

Under regular prison policy, Slagle was scheduled to be placed under pre-execution surveillance on Sunday morning, but "was not yet placed under constant watch," Smith said.