- Kevin Johnson murdered a police officer in 2005. His daughter Khorry Ramey now wants to attend his execution.

WeGoViral Staff:

When cop killer Kevin Johnson, 37, breathes his last breath on Tuesday, his daughter won't be able to be by his side.

Johnson, who killed a police officer in 2005 as a then 19-year-old, never really got to know his daughter, Khorry Ramey, 19: Since she was two years old, her father sat forever in a Missouri jail, awaiting his death sentence.

But over the years, father and daughter found each other. She visited him in prison; in their phone calls and through letters and emails, they kept in touch, building a relationship. However, it wasn't until October that she introduced Johnson to his grandson, bringing him to prison with her.

As the day of the execution approached, Khorry decided: she wanted to be close to her father at the moment of death - she wanted to be present at the execution. But her request was denied: Missouri law says citizens cannot attend an execution until they are 21.

Khorry Ramey shattered: "It breaks my heart that I won't be able to be with my father in his final moments." She says her father worked hard in prison to rehabilitate himself - she is praying for the Missouri governor to pardon him.

Ramey continued, "If my father were dying in the hospital, I would be at his bedside holding his hand and praying for him until he died. As a support for him and also a support for me, as a necessary part of my grieving process and for my peace of mind." Though Johnson's attorneys are also still fighting for a pardon, arguing that racism played a role in his conviction, Johnson's chances are fading.

Johnson's execution would be the first of three in Missouri in the coming months. Convicted murderer Scott McLaughlin is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 3, and Leonard Taylor on Feb. 7. In all, 20 inmates await execution in Missouri. So far this year, 16 people have been executed in the U.S.