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Another Botched Execution: 2 Hours to Die

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 09:58:00 AM EST
Tags: lethal injection (all tags)
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Joseph Wood was executed in Arizona yesterday. It took two hours to kill him. The execution was not halted, even though he repeatedly gasped and snorted during it.

An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the execution saw Wood start gasping shortly after a sedative and a pain killer were injected into his veins. He gasped more than 600 times over the next hour and 40 minutes.

Most disgusting comment, from a relative of the victim named Richard Brown:

Why didn't we give him Drano?

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    Another Botched Execution: 2 Hours to Die | 23 comments (23 topical)

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    I'd disagree, the most disgusting comments... (5.00 / 4) (#2)
    by Dadler on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 11:01:02 AM EST
    ...come from those having no immediate relation to the victims in the case. Family members of the victims, I'm sorry, can be forgiven for WHATEVER objectionable sh*t they say. Sorry, but if some guy killed my loved ones as he did to those folks, I'd bust through that glass to kill the phucker with my bare hands WHILE he was gasping. Not because I think it's right, but because violence destroys people and that destruction is almost always irreparable. That said, this is the reason the DP should be abolished. Because all it does is inflame our worst instincts as "modern and civilized" human beings. It rights no wrongs, it does not bring back to life the dead. It simply prolongs violence and suffering.

    Exactly - that's why relatices are not (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by ruffian on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 11:48:15 AM EST
    the judge, jury, or executioner.

    Objectively, this is a horrible practice and needs to be stopped. It is not fair punishment by any definition of the word.  

    Parent

    LWOP is my preference (none / 0) (#7)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 03:11:48 PM EST
    but if that is not available then hanging is effective, fast and cheap.

    BTW - I told a poker playing bud that LWOP was my preference.

    He retorted that all that would do is make the defense lawyers re-calibrate their claims re cruel and unusual punishment.

    Parent

    I don't know about that (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by ruffian on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 04:26:47 PM EST
    Is there automatic appeal for LWOP? If not it seems to me there would be far fewer appeals over all. How many current LWOP cases get appealed on 'cruel and unusual' basis?

    I know, I would not expect you to fact check your poker buddies!

    Parent

    I'll go there... (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 05:55:34 PM EST
    Life without the possibility of parole is cruel and unusual...because people can change. If the most heinous among us convicted of the most heinous crimes won't change, then they can rot.  But parole should be on the table for those that can be redeemed.

    Perhaps I should shut up until the death penalty is a barbaric relic.

    Parent

    kdog, BIOR (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 06:02:24 PM EST
    There is this thing called punishment by the state for crimes committed. Said punishment is for preventing the victim's family from killing the other side... You know, preventing a blood feud.

    Parent
    Then why do we call it... (none / 0) (#14)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 06:07:08 PM EST
    The Department of Corrections?

    And is it wrong to think that blood feuds would be preferable to this sh!t? At least the individual would have the choice not to be party to bloodshed or cruel and unusual punishments up to and including state sanctioned murder.  And if blood they must have, they can't outsource it to the state and pretend their hands are clean.

    Parent

    does not matter if people can change (none / 0) (#17)
    by nyjets on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 10:28:42 PM EST
    Even if people can change, and most of the time , they can not, some crimes are unforgivable. Whether or not they changed is irrelevant. They still have to answer for their crimes.


    Parent
    "unforgiveable" (none / 0) (#21)
    by sj on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 02:41:02 PM EST
    Wow.

    And yet, survivors of more than one murder victim have been able to do just that: forgive.

    Could I? Were it my son? I don't know. I would hope so but I frankly don't know if I have a big enough spirit for that. But, maybe ...many, many people do.

    Apparently you are not one of them. And apparently you prefer your society to also have a small spirit.

    Parent

    some people cannot change (none / 0) (#20)
    by ZtoA on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 12:52:41 PM EST
    Some people with mental illness cannot change. They used to be locked up in prisons/hospitals for the criminally insane. Now they are in with the general prison population.

    Parent
    Hey, the poker room has WIFI (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 06:03:43 PM EST
    and fact checks happen all the time.

    Although most of them relate to sport claims...

    Parent

    How about No? (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Farmboy on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 08:49:35 AM EST
    Instead of looking for more and better ways to take a person's life, how about we just stop the barbaric and uncivilized practice of killing people?

    Rachel (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 10:47:26 AM EST
    was good on this last night

    Another (none / 0) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 09:24:13 AM EST
    good Rachel rant last night on this subject

    Parent
    Video interview with "Arizona Republic" (none / 0) (#4)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 12:54:50 PM EST
    reporter Michael Kieffer who witnessed the execution and said he counted "660 gasps."

    Q: [paraphrased] What do you say to those who described Mr. Wood as "snoring?"

    A: "Well, gasping is snoring."

    He then quickly changes the subject of the interview by saying that the real issue is that the process took too long.

    According to various reports:

    Arizona's corrections department said in a statement that it followed protocol in Wood's execution, re-affirming his "deep sedation" seven times before he was pronounced dead.

    Aside from snoring, he did not make grimaces or otherwise move, the corrections department said.

    But Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary for state's AG, said in an email that the claims being made by the media witnesses and defense attorneys are not accurate.

    "He went to sleep, and looked to be snoring. This was my first execution and I was surprised by how peaceful it was. There was absolutely no snorting or gasping for air."

    I agree that it took too long, and wonder if the story Kieffer wrote would be getting as much attention if he had written that Wood snored over 660 times.

    I had another pet cat put down on Tuesday (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 01:09:22 PM EST
    Tiny Tim was his name.  The pentobarbitol in the syringe was a brilliant orange, took only a few seconds.  Only two cats remain of the family of eight who showed up on our rural road seventeen years ago.  This little guy may have been the heart of our little group.  We named him Tiny because he arrived with an untreated broken elbow, already fused and immobile.  But it didn't stop his scampering or dull his enthusiasm.  Until fairly old, he continued trying to shake it loose.  He was diabetic and peed whereever he wanted and we'll miss the little guy more than I could have imagined.

    What's sick is that we've given the death penalty lovers almost exactly what they want.  Prolonged agonizing deaths.  Agonizing for the observers, certainly.

    Parent

    Sorry (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 04:51:30 PM EST
    I'm going to have a very very hard decision one of these days.  My dog Ghost is going to be happy and alert when he is no longer able to get up and down because of a repaired hip injury.
    It happened almost 7 years ago when he was 6 months.

    I love all my animals but he is special.  Always has been.  I just try to love and spoil him as much as I can while I can.  His medication for pain is now a lot more expensive that my monthly meds.

    Parent

    It is something I dread too (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by ruffian on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 03:11:19 PM EST
    Got an old guy, almost 13, with bad hips, but he does well enough now with Dasuquin. Just needs help getting in the car.   I have no idea what part of him is going to go first, but I just hate the thought of any of it.  Such a deal we make with our pets - we would not be able to stand the pain if the joy were not so great while we have them.

    Parent
    Dang that there Obamacare! (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 04:52:43 PM EST


    Parent
    would something (none / 0) (#15)
    by sj on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 06:29:37 PM EST
    like this work for him?

    Parent
    Sorry about your cat... (none / 0) (#16)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 08:24:47 PM EST
    They can certainly purr their way into our hearts.

    Parent
    Who are you going to believe? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by sj on Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 01:10:18 PM EST
    But Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary for state's AG, said in an email that the claims being made by the media witnesses and defense attorneys are not accurate.
    Me? or your lying eyes?

    Parent
    One of the hazards of committing a murder (none / 0) (#23)
    by beefeater on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 08:29:33 PM EST
    In Arizona is that your execution may not go quite as smoothly as planned.

    Another Botched Execution: 2 Hours to Die | 23 comments (23 topical)

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