A 64-year-old American man who had been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a woman nearly four decades ago was executed today in Tennessee, USA.

Harold Nichols was given the death penalty for the rape and murder of 20-year-old student Karen Pulley in 1988. He had also been found guilty of raping or attempting to rape 12 women over a period of three months.

Nichols’ execution — carried out by lethal injection — was the third in Tennessee since the beginning of the year.

Across the country, there have been 46 executions of death-row inmates in the US so far this year: 38 by lethal injection, five by nitrogen hypoxia, and three by firing squad (all in South Carolina).

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states. In another three (California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania), a moratorium is in place on its implementation by order of their governors.