Ohio 'agonising' execution violates the Eighth Amendment

US lawyers are preparing to challenge Ohio's choice of death-penalty drugs after a murderer took 25 minutes to die from a new cocktail of chemicals.

Dennis McGuire, 53, suffered an "agonising" death in violation of his constitutional rights, lawyers said.

McGuire family lawyer Jon Paul Rion says he intends to launch a legal challenge against the new drug.

Witnesses said McGuire, who raped and killed a pregnant woman in 1989, gasped for at least 10 minutes before he died.

"He gasped deeply, there was kind of a rattling, guttural sound, there was kind of a snorting through his nose," said one unidentified witness.

"A couple of times he definitely appeared to be choking."

Mr Rion said the execution amounted to "cruel and unusual" punishment that violated the Eighth Amendment of the US constitution.

www.bbc.co.uk...

Not sure what to make of this.

The chemicals used were "the sedative midazolam and painkiller hydromorphone".

He may have been choking but it's unlikely he was conscious and, therefore, suffering.

They should ask him if it hurt....

Er, never mind.

💉

reply to post by CJCrawley

Witnesses said McGuire, who raped and killed a pregnant woman in 1989, gasped for at least 10 minutes before he died.

IMO they were too easy on him. Cruel and unusual my butt. He had it coming.

Maybe Mr. RIon's client should have thought the whole thing out before he raped and murdered his pregnant victim.
Just saying.

reply to post by butcherguy


Agreed.

Last I checked, "Agonizing" was spelled with a Z not an S.

Could be a new Language we haven't learned yet.

I'm not perfect either.

reply to post by Diabolical


Its British and Canadian spelling.

That's what I sound like when I'm sleeping.

Beyond the fact that he may have just been asleep, haha, I think that those ladies and unborn babies that he raped and murdered were suffering before their death as well.
Even worse that they were pregnant, because, those poor mothers-to-be were agonizing over the loss of their precious unborn child.
I'll bet it sucks for him while he is still agonizing in hell.

He was executed because he suffocated a pregnant woman after he raped her. He suffocated her, do you understand how cruel he was? Can you imagine being pregnant, knowing that not only are you going to die but so is your unborn baby?

He deserved it and more, screw him.

It sucks that his daughter felt it necessary to watch but I still think he deserved it, and perhaps even more.

reply to post by Diabolical

Could be a new Language we haven't learned yet.

It's a kind of English - the kind spoken (and written) in the originator country of the version you use...BBC stylie.

Don't blame us, you changed it all.

Taking the 'u' out of 'humour', etcetera.

reply to post by CJCrawley


blinks : WTF ???? sedation is hardly rocket science [ if you have a degree in pharmacology ]

If convicted rapists and murderers were forced to suffer the same agony their victims suffered, I think violent crime would decrease.

downers and strong opiates...seriously?

anybody here ever taken hydromorphone? its anything but agonising...

there had to be more than just those 2 ingredients, because based off the 2 they listed...sounds to me like he was high as a kite in his last moments.

I doubt it was physically painful. If they're still using the dosage from the 3 drug protocol in the new 2 drug protocol it's 40mg of hydromorphone and 10mg Midazolam. I would assume that the outward display of the struggle to live is simply because they no longer include a paralytic. I mean people take those intentionally, for recreation. With no opiate tolerance I don't think you could still be conscious after 40mg of Dilaudid. In any case it was surely less traumatic than what his victim experienced and was more considerate than he deserved.

It certainly beats the crap out of the gas chamber or electric chair.

Cruel and unusual punishment? I think not! He should have been drawn and quartered for his crime. He raped and then murdered a pregnant woman and does not deserve any humane treatment. For those that don't think this type of person should be executed, how about making him a lab rat for all manor of experimentation for the rest of his life. I have no sympathy for such as low life and the bleeding hearts talk about his "rights", what about those that he murdered, where were their "rights"?

reply to post by pstrron


Here here! He had his chance.

You think the family of the victim would have made it last less than 25 minutes?

Any one who rapes and murders a pregnant woman deserves an agonising death.

He got of lightly.

Believing in captial punishment is evil. It means they've successfully overcome the soul of the person who supports pain and violence instead of righting social wrongs, providing good systems for children to grow up in, so there is very little crime to begin with, but abundance for all, and healing modulaties for those who are insane or do things that seriously harm others. He should have been in jail, which should be a kind of peaceful, buddist temple type place, with gardens and mediatation and healing, and if released under life long electric surveillance.

reply to post by Unity_99


but instead they gave him powerful narcotics.

i guess if you have to go, extreme euphoria is the way to do it.

most law abiding citizens wont even have that luxury....

reply to post by CJCrawley


I rather think that complaining about a couple of chemicals and some possible discomfort on the part of a convicted, guilty as the day is long, murderous savage such as the deceased killer in this case, is somewhat crass considering the crime he perpetrated.

Personally, I think that offenders so vile as to be terminated by the state, are very lucky that the law is as lenient with them as it is. If I could bring back the death penalty here in Britain (with VERY stringent measures to make innocent people getting convicted entirely impossible), then I would have it done the old fashioned way... the blood eagle would do for me I think.