A ceremony will cap a history marked by legal tussles, a secret training, resignations, a deal with a serial killer and raw feelings among victims' families.

Washington state is closing its death chamber this week, but South Carolina is scheduled to carry out its first execution since 2011. It's a reflection of the differing opinions in the U.S. on capital punishment.

A room that hosted decades of death is officially closing. The Washington death penalty chamber is shuttering its heavy metal door, reported The Seattle Times. The outlet also reported the death chamber will be preserved for history as it was when it was active.

Fourteen years after the last execution was carried out in Washington, the execution chamber at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla was closed in a ceremony held Wednesday morning. Gov. Jay Inslee,