US: Oklahoma botches execution as man dies of heart attack

[webfact]

Oklahoma botches execution as man dies of heart attack
Bailey Elise McBride

McAlester, Oklahoma: -- An Oklahoma inmate whose execution was halted because the delivery of a new drug combination was botched died of a heart attack, the state Department of Corrections said.

Director Robert Patton said inmate Clayton Lockett died on Tuesday after all three drugs were administered.

Mr Patton halted Lockett's execution about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. He said there was a vein failure.

The execution began at 6:23pm local time, when officials began administering the first drug, and a doctor declared Lockett to be unconscious at 6.33pm.

About three minutes later, though, Lockett began breathing heavily, writhing on the gurney, clenching his teeth and straining to lift his head off the pillow. After about three minutes, a doctor lifted the sheet that was covering Lockett to examine the injection site. After that, an official who was inside the death chamber lowered the blinds, preventing those in the viewing room from seeing what was happening.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/oklahoma-botches-execution-as-man-dies-of-heart-attack-20140430-zr1oe.html


-- The Age 2014-04-30

[KhunBENQ]

Terrible result of the hypocritical US "high tech" execution.

What a shame.

If one believes in the benefit of death penalty: do it old style.

You have enough experts who know how to handle a gun appropriately.

[cooked]

Animals much larger than human beings get painlessly killed every day, why it is beyond the technical capabilities of the Americans to do this to (sometimes innocent) human beings is beyond me. I really have the impression that they want to make the process as unpleasant as possible. Probably the guy that thought this up was terrified of needles. Solitary confinement for many years, never touching another human being in all that time... and it doesn't bloody well work as a deterrent, it is about revenge.

[PiPiFFS]

How can this be classed as a " botched ' execution as the guy is dead. Isn't that a successful execution ?

As already said how hard is it to kill a person ? What about a large dose of uncut heroin ?

[pmarlin]

sounds like a success to me. The murdering SOB is dead. Feel sorry for the girl he stabbed and then watch his friends bury her alive.

[PiPiFFS]

I also don't get the way they try to make the killing / execution of a person a sort of civilised procedure what with the last meal and all that. Just what is the point of giving a man a meal and then killing him ? How is that in anyway civilised ?

If you are going to kill a person then just do it !

[Asiantravel]

Animals much larger than human beings get painlessly killed every day, why it is beyond the technical capabilities of the Americans to do this to (sometimes innocent) human beings is beyond me. I really have the impression that they want to make the process as unpleasant as possible. Probably the guy that thought this up was terrified of needles. Solitary confinement for many years, never touching another human being in all that time... and it doesn't bloody well work as a deterrent, it is about revenge.

Exactly! Veterinary surgeons use Nembutal (Pentobarbital) and the result is a peaceful and relatively quick death for the animal. I have never understood the need to administer this cocktail of drugs in prisons during the death penalty.

[xminator]

Its barbaric, and an absolute disgrace from a modern country to participate in state sanctioned torture and murder.

[coma]

Who's next ?

Arhhh ! That's right. Mr Charles Frederick Warner. Convicted of raping and murdering an 11-month-old baby.

Carry on I say

[ezzra]

I wonder what was the crime that he committed that he was sent to death for? was it more humane

that what happened to him with the "botched" execution? I don't think so, dead is dead,

no one promised him bed of rosses....

[Steely Dan]

Animals much larger than human beings get painlessly killed every day, why it is beyond the technical capabilities of the Americans to do this to (sometimes innocent) human beings is beyond me. I really have the impression that they want to make the process as unpleasant as possible. Probably the guy that thought this up was terrified of needles. Solitary confinement for many years, never touching another human being in all that time... and it doesn't bloody well work as a deterrent, it is about revenge.

Exactly! Veterinary surgeons use Nembutal (Pentobarbital) and the result is a peaceful and relatively quick death for the animal. I have never understood the need to administer this cocktail of drugs in prisons during the death penalty.

I wonder if you can get hold of Pentobarbital in Thailand; sometimes we need to put down one of our hens and I can't bring myself to dispatch them with a knife.

[chuckd]

I wonder what was the crime that he committed that he was sent to death for? was it more humane

that what happened to him with the "botched" execution? I don't think so, dead is dead,

no one promised him bed of rosses....

The following is what the recently deceased Mr. Lockett did to a 16 year old girl, Ms. Stephanie Neiman.

I expect her terror, fear, pain and suffering lasted longer than 43 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death row inmate killed teen because she wouldn't back down

<snip>

Neiman was forced to watch as Lockett's accomplice, Shawn Mathis, spent 20 minutes digging a shallow grave in a ditch beside the road. Her friends saw Neiman standing in the ditch and heard a single shot.

Lockett returned to the truck because the gun had jammed. He later said he could hear Neiman pleading, "Oh God, please, please" as he fixed the shotgun.

The men could be heard "laughing about how tough Stephanie was" before Lockett shot Neiman a second time.

"He ordered Mathis to bury her, despite the fact that Mathis informed him Stephanie was still alive."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/courts/death-looms-for-clayton-lockett-years-after-killing-oklahoma-teen/article_e459564b-5c60-5145-a1ce-bbd17a14417b.html

[Rorri]

xminator, on 30 Apr 2014 - 12:11, said:

Its barbaric, and an absolute disgrace from a modern country to participate in state sanctioned torture and murder.

Ah, the words of someone whose never been unfortunate enough to have someone close raped and/or murdered.

[Scott]

I believe that medical personnel do not participate in the executions because it is against medical ethics. It seems this is a trial and error process with little guidance from medical personnel. Not long ago, there was a story about an execution that had to be halted (temporarily) because they couldn't get a needle in his veins.

Veterinarians are trained in putting animals down. Veterinarians are apparently covered by medical ethics in this matter as well.

They probably could find a doctor, like the Michael Jackson's doctor, who are no longer licensed. Or maybe Dr. Kovorkian to help them out.

[Frank James]

I have changed my mind many times on the subject of capital punishment. However, some crimes are so vile and atrocious that killing the perpetrator is not only just, but absolutely called for. This, of course, should only happen after due process of law, to which we are all entitled.

As for method, hanging or firing squad seem more "humane" than strapping someone to a gurney and administering chemicals, in full view of an audience.

[connda]

I four year with a chemistry set could do a better job than Oklahoma. It seems as though they are intent on torturing convicts to death. Hell bells, put the condemned in a air-tight room and replace the air with helium. No thrashing, gnashing, writhing, or mess. They're just trying to make it as macabre as possible.

[lomatopo]

Or maybe Dr. Kovorkian to help them out.

Let us know how that works out for you.

He died in 2011.

Daily News Headline:

Zombie Doc Doses Deathrow Demon

[connda]

Animals much larger than human beings get painlessly killed every day, why it is beyond the technical capabilities of the Americans to do this to (sometimes innocent) human beings is beyond me. I really have the impression that they want to make the process as unpleasant as possible. Probably the guy that thought this up was terrified of needles. Solitary confinement for many years, never touching another human being in all that time... and it doesn't bloody well work as a deterrent, it is about revenge.

Exactly! Veterinary surgeons use Nembutal (Pentobarbital) and the result is a peaceful and relatively quick death for the animal. I have never understood the need to administer this cocktail of drugs in prisons during the death penalty.

I believe that the State of OK said that the company that makes phenobarbital won't sell it to them. They should just hire Micheal Jackson's doctor. I believe he stumbled across a drug combination that doesn't contain phenobarbital and is quite affective at causing death.

[brewsterbudgen]

I wonder what was the crime that he committed that he was sent to death for? was it more humane

that what happened to him with the "botched" execution? I don't think so, dead is dead,

no one promised him bed of rosses....

The following is what the recently deceased Mr. Lockett did to a 16 year old girl, Ms. Stephanie Neiman.

I expect her terror, fear, pain and suffering lasted longer than 43 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death row inmate killed teen because she wouldn't back down

<snip>

Neiman was forced to watch as Lockett's accomplice, Shawn Mathis, spent 20 minutes digging a shallow grave in a ditch beside the road. Her friends saw Neiman standing in the ditch and heard a single shot.

Lockett returned to the truck because the gun had jammed. He later said he could hear Neiman pleading, "Oh God, please, please" as he fixed the shotgun.

The men could be heard "laughing about how tough Stephanie was" before Lockett shot Neiman a second time.

"He ordered Mathis to bury her, despite the fact that Mathis informed him Stephanie was still alive."

Savages. But no need for a civilised State to act with savagery to achieve vengeance. Shameful that a country like the US acts like Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea etc.

[SanukJoeII]

Would this happen in Thailand many TV members would scream: "Third world country!" But now: silence....

If that country is so proud of the "right to bear arms" then let a fire squad do the execution, not some prison officials.

[Ulysses G.]

I have changed my mind many times on the subject of capital punishment. However, some crimes are so vile and atrocious that killing the perpetrator is not only just, but absolutely called for. This, of course, should only happen after due process of law, to which we are all entitled.

As for method, hanging or firing squad seem more "humane" than strapping someone to a gurney and administering chemicals, in full view of an audience.

I'm in the same boat as you, but I can't feel any pity for criminals who have committed these kind of heinous crimes. IMO, they should be put down as humanely as possible, but they do not deserve to live.

[lomatopo]

Off with their head. Relatives of the victims can swing the axe if they want.

My vote is for public be-headings, broadcast live on TV, and everyone, including children, should be required to watch.

These namby-pamby Supreme Court Justices can take their "un-cruel" and "usual" forms of punishment and stuff 'em. We want cruel, and unusual. If not be-headings then at least give us good hanging like they do in Iran.

[rijb]

I wonder what was the crime that he committed that he was sent to death for? was it more humane

that what happened to him with the "botched" execution? I don't think so, dead is dead,

no one promised him bed of rosses....

The following is what the recently deceased Mr. Lockett did to a 16 year old girl, Ms. Stephanie Neiman.

I expect her terror, fear, pain and suffering lasted longer than 43 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death row inmate killed teen because she wouldn't back down

<snip>

Neiman was forced to watch as Lockett's accomplice, Shawn Mathis, spent 20 minutes digging a shallow grave in a ditch beside the road. Her friends saw Neiman standing in the ditch and heard a single shot.

Lockett returned to the truck because the gun had jammed. He later said he could hear Neiman pleading, "Oh God, please, please" as he fixed the shotgun.

The men could be heard "laughing about how tough Stephanie was" before Lockett shot Neiman a second time.

"He ordered Mathis to bury her, despite the fact that Mathis informed him Stephanie was still alive."

Savages. But no need for a civilised State to act with savagery to achieve vengeance. Shameful that a country like the US acts like Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea etc.

Savages? Why shouldn't a 'civilized' state kill a killer? Is it against organized religion? They are the most prolific killing organizations in history.

Or is there a worry about killing the wrong person? Then, let's spend more money on finding the real killers. And then lets kill the killers the cheapest way possible. Stoning works for me.

[Frank James]

I four year with a chemistry set could do a better job than Oklahoma. It seems as though they are intent on torturing convicts to death. Hell bells, put the condemned in a air-tight room and replace the air with helium. No thrashing, gnashing, writhing, or mess. They're just trying to make it as macabre as possible.

Wow, what a concept. On his way out the guy could talk in funny voices, amusing all of the spectators.

[cooked]

Off with their head. Relatives of the victims can swing the axe if they want.

My vote is for public be-headings, broadcast live on TV, and everyone, including children, should be required to watch.

These namby-pamby Supreme Court Justices can take their "un-cruel" and "usual" forms of punishment and stuff 'em. We want cruel, and unusual. If not be-headings then at least give us good hanging like they do in Iran.

Nice one, armchair hard man.1. Google it. Many people have been put to death that were later proved innocent.

2. Many people that have been in solitary confinement for many years wish to die. If you really want to make them suffer, let them live.

3. Public executions won't exactly make pacifists out of the spectators, will it?

4. The death penalty has absolutely no effect on crime statistics, it is about revenge and politicians playing up to the masses.

[ggt]

Do you imagine...the crime victim's family...were terrible upset at this criminal's suffering in death...?

[NeverSure]

I could be wrong, but I understood that this "cocktail" of drugs wasn't to kill. I've read that they give the prisoner sedatives long before they take him to the death chamber. Then once they are ready, they give another drug which renders him unconcious. Only then do they administer the lethal dose.

It sounds like maybe they botched the anesthesia in a couple of cases.

[Benmart]

Animals much larger than human beings get painlessly killed every day, why it is beyond the technical capabilities of the Americans to do this to (sometimes innocent) human beings is beyond me. I really have the impression that they want to make the process as unpleasant as possible. Probably the guy that thought this up was terrified of needles. Solitary confinement for many years, never touching another human being in all that time... and it doesn't bloody well work as a deterrent, it is about revenge.

Too bad his victim(s) can not comment on your thoughts.

[tingtongteesood]

Don't care. If he did the crime then he deserves whatever pain he recieved. Bleeding heart liberals won't like that but I don't care. NEXT !

[Maggusoil]

Who's next ?

Arhhh ! That's right. Mr Charles Frederick Warner. Convicted of raping and murdering an 11-month-old baby.

Carry on I say

These guys want sympathy?!

Death by needle seems quite inadequate.

With citizens like this to deal with, hard to blame the Oklahomans, however they do it.

Its really hard to believe.

Thanks coma.