SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – As Craig Wood appeared in Greene County court Thursday, he remains as the only death penalty defendant in Greene County at a time when support for the punishment may be dwindling around the state.

Missouri trailed only Texas the last two years in number of executions carried out, but Missouri lawmakers have responded by moving a repeal of the death penalty historically close to the finish line.

The Missouri Senate recently gave preliminary approval for the first time to a proposal to abolish the death penalty.

Missouri’s blip in executions comes at a time when they are at a 24-year low nationally.

Springfield City Councilman Mike Schilling said from his youth to his time in politics, he has always thought the death penalty is an “eye for an eye” policy. Schilling is a member of Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

“The old saying goes, why do you kill people to show that killing people is wrong.” Schilling said.

While the public has long been divided morally over whether the death penalty carries out justice or vengeance, it is hard for anyone to ignore its various costs.

According to data KOLR10 News obtained from the Missouri State Public Defender’s office, it costs the state’s indigent defense agency more than $200,000 on average to defend a capital case in 2015.

From 2005-2014, those costs averaged about $120,000 per case.

Meanwhile, the office’s director has said attorneys can defend suspects of rape and many other crimes for about $345 per case.

“People are coming to realize that, even somewhat pro-death penalty people, well should we really be spending money on that, what are we gaining for society,” Schilling said.

Greene County prosecutors sought the death penalty for Wood because they have argued his alleged crimes involve four of 17 possible “aggravating circumstances” juries can consider in capital murder cases.

In a position paper supporting the death penalty, Missouri prosecutors wrote the punishment acts as a deterrent of murder in society, defendants receive “extraordinary due process guarantees” and death penalty defendants receive effective legal representation.

“Tough cases may be expensive, but it is worth it,” the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys wrote in its paper. “This is what the public pays prosecutors to do – to protect them.”

Schilling wrote death penalty bills as a former state lawmaker and got then Attorney General Jay Nixon to agree with him on at least one thing.

“He admitted [publically] that even though he was very supportive of the death penalty, he admitted that the deterrent factor didn’t hold water,” Schilling said.

Now Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto pen means death penalty repeal is unlikely this year.

However, Schilling was encouraged to see the Senate advance the issue further than the legislature has in past sessions.

“The time is come that we’re getting close to it in Missouri I hope,” Schilling said.

While legislative leaders said they will likely not pass a repeal of the death penalty this year, they are happy they have at least advanced the issue.

Only two of the 27 inmates on death row in Missouri have exhausted all of their appeals.