In Virginia, Governor Mark Warner has granted clemency to a convict who would have become the 1,000th person executed in the United States since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Less than 24 hours before he was to be executed later today, Robin Lovitt’s death sentence was commuted to life in prison. Governor Warner noted evidence from Lovitt’s trial had been improperly destroyed, preventing DNA testing his defense team says could prove his innocence. In a statement, Governor Warner said: “The commonwealth must ensure that every time this ultimate sanction is carried out, it is done fairly.” The 1,000 milestone is expected to be reached Friday, when both North Carolina and South Carolina have executions scheduled.