Oklahoma carried out the execution of a man Thursday nearly three decades after he murdered a 21-year-old college ballerina.

Death row inmate Anthony Sanchez, 44, died at 10:19 a.m., according to a report citing the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

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Sanchez was put to death for the 1996 murder of Juli Busken, a 21-year-old University of Oklahoma student and ballerina.

Busken was abducted by Sanchez before being sexually assaulted, bound, shot in the head, and ditched at Lake Stanley Draper, the report noted.

"Justice was served today for Juli Busken nearly 27 years after her life tragically was taken," Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement.

Sanchez had maintained his innocence, but was found guilty by a jury following evidence stemming from a bullet, DNA, footprint, and suspect sketch, according to the report.

"My hope is that today can bring some measure of peace to her family and friends."

Busken's family was not present at the execution, according to the report.

Before he was put to death, Sanchez purportedly expressed his innocence and said that he had the "the worst lawyers in the state of Oklahoma" and "sorry to whoever has them as lawyers."

He had never made a request for clemency, according to the report.

"He felt like it wasn't going to be fair," Sanchez's spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeff Hood, said. "He would rather die standing for his innocence than begging for clemency on his knees."

Sanchez did wish that Busken's family found peace.

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"He clearly said if that is what makes them happy or gives them closure that he is perfectly content with dying," Hood said.

A request to pause the execution had previously been denied by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.