An Indiana man convicted of the 2001 rape and murder of a teenager was put to death by injection early Friday, the third execution in the state since the death penalty was reinstated last year.

Roy Lee Ward, 53 years old, was executed at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. The Indiana Department of Corrections said in a statement that the proceedings began shortly after midnight, and Ward was pronounced dead at 12:33 a.m. Ward's last meal was from Texas Corral and included a hamburger. His last words, the Indiana Department of Corrections said, were "Brian is going to read these," but it was not clear when he made the statement. He was convicted of the rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne. Authorities said Ward attacked the girl with a knife and a dumbbell at her family's home near Dale, about 30 miles east of Evansville. The crime shocked the small community of about 1,500 people.

Payne was stabbed repeatedly and died from her injuries several hours after the attack, AFP reports, adding that he was arrested at the scene while still carrying a knife.

Ward had exhausted his legal options after more than two decades. His attorney, Joanna Green, said days before the execution that Ward was “very remorseful” about the crime.

Ward’s execution came amid questions about Indiana’s handling of the powerful sedative pentobarbital. Last year, state officials ended a 15-year pause in executions, saying they had been able to obtain drugs used in lethal injections that had not been available for years.

The Indiana Department of Corrections said it had obtained “sufficient pentobarbital to follow the required protocol” for Ward’s execution. Ward's attorneys had raised concerns about the drug's use and how the state stored it,including temperature issues.

Among the 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that prohibit media witnesses to executions. Ward’s witness list included lawyers and spiritual advisers.

One of his spiritual advisers, Deacon Brian Nosbusch, testified before the execution that Ward had deeply reflected on his actions. “He knows he did it. He knows it was horrible.”

The victim’s family said they are ready for justice, remembering Payne as an honor student and cheerleader whose influence transcended her short life.

“Now our family gatherings are no longer full, the parties are still empty. Birthdays are sad reminders of what we lost,” said his mother, Julie Wininger.