Execution Goes 'Horribly Wrong'

[Zam-Zam]

Last night in Oklahoma:

An Oklahoma death row inmate died of a heart attack Tuesday night more than 40 minutes after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs was botched.

The execution of a second convicted murderer was postponed.

Corrections Director Robert Patton halted the execution of Clayton Lockett about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. He said there was a vein failure that prevented the deadly chemicals from reaching Lockett.

Witnesses said Lockett writhed and convulsed on the gurney, shaking uncontrollably.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin ordered an investigation into the botched execution and issued a 14-day stay of execution for the second inmate who was scheduled to die.

Acting hours after the execution, Fallin ordered the Department of Corrections to review the state's execution procedures and determine what went wrong.

Patton said Lockett died after receiving all three drugs.

"There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having that (desired) effect, and the doctor observed the line at that time and determined the line had blown," Patton said at a news conference afterward, referring to Lockett's vein rupturing.

The 38-year-old Lockett, who was convicted of shooting 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman and watching two accomplices bury her alive in 1999, was pronounced dead in the execution chamber at 7:06 p.m. CT.

An Oklahoma death row inmate died of a heart attack Tuesday night more than 40 minutes after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs was botched.

The execution of a second convicted murderer was postponed.

Corrections Director Robert Patton halted the execution of Clayton Lockett about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. He said there was a vein failure that prevented the deadly chemicals from reaching Lockett.

Witnesses said Lockett writhed and convulsed on the gurney, shaking uncontrollably.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin ordered an investigation into the botched execution and issued a 14-day stay of execution for the second inmate who was scheduled to die.

Acting hours after the execution, Fallin ordered the Department of Corrections to review the state's execution procedures and determine what went wrong.

Patton said Lockett died after receiving all three drugs.

"There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having that (desired) effect, and the doctor observed the line at that time and determined the line had blown," Patton said at a news conference afterward, referring to Lockett's vein rupturing.

The 38-year-old Lockett, who was convicted of shooting 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman and watching two accomplices bury her alive in 1999, was pronounced dead in the execution chamber at 7:06 p.m. CT.




Complete text: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ma-executions-drugs-lethal-injection/8476389/



If Mr. Lockett did indeed shoot a 19-year old girl and then watch as she was buried alive, I don't have a great deal of sympathy for him. That said, I'm not a big fan of the death penalty. To me, it seems to be more about vengeance than justice, and my personal spiritual belief is that Ultimate Justice should be left up to the Ultimate Authority. This seems to me to be just another instance where our government oversteps its logical bounds.

 

[freyasman]

Last night in Oklahoma:

An Oklahoma death row inmate died of a heart attack Tuesday night more than 40 minutes after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs was botched.

The execution of a second convicted murderer was postponed.

Corrections Director Robert Patton halted the execution of Clayton Lockett about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. He said there was a vein failure that prevented the deadly chemicals from reaching Lockett.

Witnesses said Lockett writhed and convulsed on the gurney, shaking uncontrollably.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin ordered an investigation into the botched execution and issued a 14-day stay of execution for the second inmate who was scheduled to die.

Acting hours after the execution, Fallin ordered the Department of Corrections to review the state's execution procedures and determine what went wrong.

Patton said Lockett died after receiving all three drugs.

"There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having that (desired) effect, and the doctor observed the line at that time and determined the line had blown," Patton said at a news conference afterward, referring to Lockett's vein rupturing.

The 38-year-old Lockett, who was convicted of shooting 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman and watching two accomplices bury her alive in 1999, was pronounced dead in the execution chamber at 7:06 p.m. CT.

An Oklahoma death row inmate died of a heart attack Tuesday night more than 40 minutes after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs was botched.

The execution of a second convicted murderer was postponed.

Corrections Director Robert Patton halted the execution of Clayton Lockett about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. He said there was a vein failure that prevented the deadly chemicals from reaching Lockett.

Witnesses said Lockett writhed and convulsed on the gurney, shaking uncontrollably.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin ordered an investigation into the botched execution and issued a 14-day stay of execution for the second inmate who was scheduled to die.

Acting hours after the execution, Fallin ordered the Department of Corrections to review the state's execution procedures and determine what went wrong.

Patton said Lockett died after receiving all three drugs.

"There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having that (desired) effect, and the doctor observed the line at that time and determined the line had blown," Patton said at a news conference afterward, referring to Lockett's vein rupturing.

The 38-year-old Lockett, who was convicted of shooting 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman and watching two accomplices bury her alive in 1999, was pronounced dead in the execution chamber at 7:06 p.m. CT.



Complete text: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ma-executions-drugs-lethal-injection/8476389/



If Mr. Lockett did indeed shoot a 19-year old girl and then watch as she was buried alive, I don't have a great deal of sympathy for him. That said, I'm not a big fan of the death penalty. To me, it seems to be more about vengeance than justice, and my personal spiritual belief is that Ultimate Justice should be left up to the Ultimate Authority. This seems to me to be just another instance where our government oversteps its logical bounds.

I got issues with the way we go about it in this country, but some folks are just too dangerous to leave breathing.

 

[Constitutional Sheepdog]

Heart attack? More like God Justice proceeded when man failed.

 

[as seen on tv]

i'm not a death penalty fan either, but not because it's "cruel and unusual".

rather, my objection stems from the difficulties it creates in extradighting felons to the USA from non-death penalty countries; the additional cost of prsecuting and appeals to confirm the death penalty as opposed to incarceration; and the "destruction of evidence" (for unsolved past crimes) when you execute someone.

that said, the incidence and manner of excutions (if any) should be a function of citizens preference, not redrawn periodically based on the sympathies of the judge who happens to be hearing some random complaint about whether electrocution, injection, or some other method is more or less cruel than the next.

 

[Zam-Zam]

i'm not a death penalty fan either, but not because it's "cruel and unusual".

rather, my objection stems from the difficulties it creates in extradighting felons to the USA from non-death penalty countries; the additional cost of prsecuting and appeals to confirm the death penalty as opposed to incarceration; and the "destruction of evidence" (for unsolved past crimes) when you execute someone.

that said, the incidence and manner of excutions (if any) should be a function of citizens preference, not redrawn periodically based on the sympathies of the judge who happens to be hearing some random complaint about whether electrocution, injection, or some other method is more or less cruel than the next.

That, and the fact that every now and then, they get one wrong, and we find out later with DNA evidence or some such thing. You can't undo an execution.

 

[Bernard_Fokke]

Have them dig their own grave, after being found guilty of course, then blindfolded and kneeling at the edge of the grave they get a bullet in the back of the head. Simple, direct, effective and probably painless, only issue is the executed can't fill the hole back in.

Have the other dirtbags watch so they know there's consequences.

 

[as seen on tv]

That, and the fact that every now and then, they get one wrong, and we find out later with DNA evidence or some such thing. You can't undo an execution.

i dont object to that concept - but most DNA "reversals" are limited to convictions that took place decades ago. Those convicts - if it was a "capital" case, have largely run out their appeals, and had sentence carried out.

Juries are notoriously skittish about convicting WITHOUT andy dna evidence these days, let alone going for the death penalty. Modern forensic science is highly advanced, and even saliva on a discarded cigarette but can positively confirm (or refute) a criminal charge.

virtually all of DNA reversls involve life sentences, and the crimes took place decades ago where eyewitness testimony (or coerced confession) was the principal factor. The DNA crowd has had much less success demonstrating any significant number of wrongful executions.

Oddly, there is a growing speciality in attorneys who specialize in PREVENTING any dna testing of criminals. This of course is problematic if the accused is already on trial. These attorneys are mostly interested in preventing DNA testing of people already behind bars which might show them culpable of OTHER unsolved crimes, and interfere with favorable parole decisions.

I would endorse a "national DNA database", just as I endorse a "national ID" card. Just because these things were beyond the comprehension of the founding fathers doesn't mean they violate any fundamental rights to privacy. We already take fingerprints/footprints at the time of birth, and the founding fathers knew zero about fingerprinting, too.