Maryland Governor commutes sentences of all death row inmates to life.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has commuted the sentence of the state’s four remaining death row inmates to life in prison.

The state’s legislature ended the death penalty in 2012, making the highest sentence life in prison without parole.

Mr O’Malley said executing the remaining inmates “does not serve the public good of the people of Maryland”.

He added he had spoken to many of the relatives of those killed by the inmates before making the decision.

The state’s outgoing attorney general recently argued during an appeals hearing on one of the cases that it would be illegal for Maryland to carry out death sentences previously handed down because there is no law that allows capital punishment.

 has commuted the sentence of the state’s four remaining death row inmates to life in prison.

The state’s legislature ended the death penalty in 2012, making the highest sentence life in prison without parole.

Mr O’Malley said executing the remaining inmates “does not serve the public good of the people of Maryland”.

He added he had spoken to many of the relatives of those killed by the inmates before making the decision.

The state’s outgoing attorney general recently argued during an appeals hearing on one of the cases that it would be illegal for Maryland to carry out death sentences previously handed down because there is no law that allows capital punishment.