For each of the nine people he shot and killed in rip-offs, ex-Sweetwater cop Manuel Pardo did not shy away from the ultimate punishment. 'What I'm begging you to do is let me have a glorious ending and not condemn me to a state institution for the rest of my life,' he told jurors in an extraordinary sentencing in 1988. 'I'm not a criminal. I'm a soldier. As a soldier, I ask to be given the death penalty. I accomplished my mission.'

Twenty-four years later, Pardo is to get his wish. On Tuesday, he is set to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke, barring any last-minute appeals. Even among Miami's notorious crime lore, Pardo's case remains an anomaly: He was a military veteran turned cop turned serial killer who meticulously kept news clippings of each of his murders. 'I don't know if it's because he was in law enforcement that made it such a nasty, chilling case, but I spent over 19 years in homicide and this one always sticks out,' said retired Hialeah Detective John Allickson, part of the team that investigated Pardo. 'In sitting there, talking to him, he was Ted Bundy-esque.' His lawyers have nevertheless fought for decades to keep him alive. Among their latest claims: The state has refused to give over enough public records relating to the lethal injection method and the manner of execution is 'cruel and unusual punishment.'

The Cinematics Rapidshare I Love Ny Logo Font. more. Last week, however, the Florida Supreme Court sided with a Miami-Dade judge, rejecting Pardo's appeals and saying his claim about lethal injection is based on 'pure speculation and conjecture.' Lawyers are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court and another hearing is scheduled Monday in front of a Jacksonville federal judge. Lawyer William McKinley Hennis III said Pardo, 56, has also long suffered from a thyroid disorder that ravaged his mind and body. 'He's never been allowed to put on an expert about hyper thyroidism and the impact it had on his crimes and his competency at trial,' Hennis said Friday. Born and raised in New York, Pardo's outlook looked bright. He joined the Navy and won honors for good conduct and sharpshooting.

He was honorably discharged in February 1978. After a short stint as a bank clerk, he was accepted into the Florida Highway Patrol academy, where he earned class valedictorian. He later earned two college degrees.

But trouble brewed. He resigned in January 1980 from FHP while under investigation for writing bogus traffic tickets.