A federal appeals court upheld a conviction of  a Kentucky man on death row for the 1984 killing of two Louisville-area high school students who got lost on their way to a football game.

Victor Taylor was convicted of murdering Scott Nelson and Richard Stephenson, two high school student that attended Trinity High School, a private Catholic school in Louisville. The two students were reportedly kidnapped and killed after they stopped at a restaurant  to ask for directions to a football game.

Taylor was convicted of kidnapping, robbery, sodomy and capital murder. He was sentenced to death.

After decades of unsuccessful appeals, Taylor filed a petition in federal court to have his conviction thrown out.

Taylor alleged in his appeal that the prosecutor in his case discriminated against African American people during jury selection, according to the circuit court opinion.

The court rejected the petition.

Kentucky Attorney Daniel Cameron says his office is committed to seeing the sentenced carried out.