Oklahoma Botched Execution - Clayton Lockett took 45 Minutes to Die

Clayton Lockett was convicted of rape, kidnapping, robbery and murder. He was sentenced to die by lethal injection on Tuesday in Oklahoma. He was strapped into the death chair and witnesses entered the witness chamber that adjoins the death room. Three drugs were to be injected. The first was supposed to knock him out. It didn't. They pushed the second and third drugs anyways. He was aware of what was going on as his vein exploded inside him. After attempting to get up and speak, he lost consciousness. He died 45 minutes after the first injection of a heart attack.

CNN - Oklahoma Botched Execution

A botched execution in Oklahoma has become the latest in a string of incidents raising questions about the drugs being used and the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Clayton Lockett lived for 43 minutes Tuesday after being administered the first drug in a cocktail that was meant to kill him, CNN affiliate KFOR reported. He convulsed and writhed on the gurney. Managing to raise his head, he got out the words "Man," "I'm not," and "something's wrong," reporter Courtney Francisco of KFOR said. Then the blinds were closed, and witnesses could not see what took place after that.

The drugs used ...

...midazolam; vecuronium bromide to stop respiration, and potassium chloride to stop the heart. "Two intravenous lines are inserted, one in each arm. The drugs are injected by hand-held syringes simultaneously into the two intravenous lines. The sequence is in the order that the drugs are listed above. Three executioners are utilized, with each one injecting one of the drugs."

It appears to me (and I'm not an expert at all) that the drug combo causes slow suffocation before the actual heart stopping. The description given by witness' of this type of death by lethal injection state that the person dying gasps for air and are in pain even though they can't communicate it ... and this goes on for many, many minutes.

The TV news is reporting that the prisoners condemned to death want openness of information - including the names of drugs being used and the names of the people carrying out the death sentence. The Department of Corrections' originally refused to say what drugs were in use but since then have been more transparent with the information. I understand a person who is going to die wanting to know what they would die from. Totally understandable. However, they do not have a right to the names of the people who do the injections. Those people need to be protected just as jurors in a trial need to be protected and not have their identities released.

So ... death by lethal injection. Problems with the drugs and the procedures. (this isn't the first case of a prolonged botched execution due to death by lethal injection). Cruel and unusual and therefore should be banned? Or ... human error and we should keep on killing the killers even if they suffer some during the process?

For disclosure reasons I should state that I'm against the death penalty unless there is an extreme circumstance.

I am for the Death Penalty, when it is beyond a reasonable doubt (Video killing as the cop pulls up and arrest the guy-DONE!)

As for it taking too long and being painful.... too bad. Don't kill people and you won't be at the receiving end.

If I had it my way, the family would have first choice to do something (like kill them as they killed the victim).

Eye for and Eye.

I am tired of hearing about "I didn't try to Kill them", " the gun went off accidently" or shoots and misses or wounds. Too bad you are a crappy shot. You won't have to worry about that anymore... just lie back and close your eyes.....

Time we start getting meaner than the perps, it is the only way our society will survive-the way we want it to.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Is it hypocritical of me to have little sympathy for this man?
Yes.

His actions justified his punishment.

Personally, a firing squad would be quicker and more cost effective.


eta; clarrify

a reply to: beezzer

Personally, a firing squad would be cheaper and more cost effective.

More humane too...

originally posted by: anon72
I am for the Death Penalty, when it is beyond a reasonable doubt (Video killing as the cop pulls up and arrest the guy-DONE!)

As for it taking too long and being painful.... too bad. Don't kill people and you won't be at the receiving end.

If I had it my way, the family would have first choice to do something (like kill them as they killed the victim).

Eye for and Eye.

I am tired of hearing about "I didn't try to Kill them", " the gun went off accidently" or shoots and misses or wounds. Too bad you are a crappy shot. You won't have to worry about that anymore... just lie back and close your eyes.....

Time we start getting meaner than the perps, it is the only way our society will survive-the way we want it to.

Could not have said it better myself.

If you don't want to die then don't kill...pretty simple logic that seems to be missed for some reason. Same goes for crime in general. The old saying, if you can do the time then don't do the crime comes to mind. Sucks that it went wrong, but I don't think his victim(s) had a real pleasant experience during their deaths either....not going to lose any sleep over this one...

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: FlyersFan

Is it hypocritical of me to have little sympathy for this man?
Yes.

His actions justified his punishment.

Personally, a firing squad would be cheaper and more cost effective.

A good old fashioned stoning is free....just sayin.

originally posted by: Indigent
More humane too...

The death by injection thing was supposed to be the most humane way. But the more I read on this, the more I'm thinking it really isn't. I'd rather die instantly with 5 or 6 bullets to the heart (firing squad) then die slowly ... 10-15 minutes ... with suffocation while people pretend that I am not awake or that I can't feel anything. The fact that the people dying can't respond or open their eyes does not mean that they aren't aware ...

So should convicted killers get a choice on how they die??
Or should it be whatever is most wanted by the authorities??
Or should we not kill anyone at all in jail??

questions questions ...

Gah, why is it that my home state is only in the news when something bad happens? It's embarrassing....

That said, I don't feel a whole lot of compassion for this man. It took him 45 minutes to die? How long did it take his victim to die? And hey, at least we didn't rape him and beat him first.

I'm usually a "middle-of-the-road" type of gal, but my hardline conservative comes out when it comes to punishment. I think if you kill or rape an adult, or hurt any child in any way, you should be kicked out of the gene pool permanently. I know, I know, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind and all that...but how can we let monsters run around in our society?

And it has been my personal opinion for many years now that we need to bring back the gallows and such - have public hangings in the town square on Saturday afternoons and charge admission. Maybe the city could use that money to fill in some of the giant potholes that plague our streets and maybe public execution would act as an actual deterrent to crime. No one is afraid of being punished anymore. They know the punishment will entail a roof over their heads, three meals a day, exercise time, cable, etc... There is no longer any fear of punishment. Public executions would bring that back and I think the crime rates would plummet.

I know, I know, I'm a heartless bitch.... But it's just my own humble opinion.

a reply to: FlyersFan

It seems so complicated and has go wrong so many times, i think its made this way to avoid having an executioner, someone pressing a button is more easy to handle that someone swinging an axe, but the axe is quicker to the victim.

If you are going to be barbaric and kill people for their crimes go all the way and do it right, a shot in the back of the head or a firing squad.

Don't make them suffer so you can live better thinking they dint suffer or whatever reasoning behind this method

"DILIGAF" is all I can think you take a life and expect sympathy, not only take a life but rape, and murder the person. Hell in my mind got off easy. I'd tie the P.O.S to a tree, next to a fire ant hill, dump honey all over, let the ants start, and the bears finish.

A.Hole deserves all of what he got and the brim stones of what ever fictional warm resting place this piece of filth now resides.

Maybe if every execution went this way the mind set of the idiots lining up to die might change not peaceful and quick but the same prolonged agony of the victims......

SaneThinking

You could always get an abortionist to do it.

(just sayin')

*Slowly walks back out of the thread. . . . . *

I am completely against the death penalty and there is zero logic in saying:

"Killing is bad and wrong and to prove this we are going to kill you"


It's just ridiculous.... no civilised country should have the death penalty, most don't in fact.



Having said all that, I am a little hypocritical in that reading what this guy was convicted of I can't help but feel that maybe it was karma which made him suffer.

how is it a botched he died wasnt that the end result wanted? this guy burried his 19 year victim alive a slow painful death he also had a slow painful death sound like poetic justice to me. instead of wasting time and money with these lethal injections and tax payer money housing these killers for years how bout if there is no doubt they did the crime after the court hearing they take them out back and shoot them in the back of the head and save us paying to feed them for 20 years before there executed.

If the State thinks that the death penalty is a fitting punishment, then so be it. Personally speaking I think that we've seen so many cases where innocent people have been on Death Row that it's worrying as hell. In this particular case I think that it's in the interests of justice for capital punishment to be a quick as possible. Prolonging it is a form of torture and the State should have no part in it.

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Indigent
More humane too...

The death by injection thing was supposed to be the most humane way. But the more I read on this, the more I'm thinking it really isn't. I'd rather die instantly with 5 or 6 bullets to the heart (firing squad) then die slowly ... 10-15 minutes ... with suffocation while people pretend that I am not awake or that I can't feel anything. The fact that the people dying can't respond or open their eyes does not mean that they aren't aware ...

So should convicted killers get a choice on how they die??
Or should it be whatever is most wanted by the authorities??
Or should we not kill anyone at all in jail??

questions questions ...

I don't think they should get a choice. I think the family of the victim should have that choice where by if they can't decide then the court decides for them. Maybe give three options with each being the same cost to the state.

My guess is that while they say it is the most humane, it is really just the least graphic for those involved. I have heard stories of the executioners having issues from hanging and/or shooting so many they can't bear it, that and if family is watching people who are hanged twitch a lot and shootings tend to be fairly impressionable. Lethal injection is meant to just make it look like that person went to sleep....

a reply to: FlyersFan

Maybe we could (state by state) come up with several ways to be executed and let the inmate choose. I think that's a great idea!

Firing Squad
Stoning
Injection
Hanging

Any more that anyone can think of?

SnF, FlyersFan - great idea and a very important subject!

originally posted by: DustbowlDebutante
Gah, why is it that my home state is only in the news when something bad happens? It's embarrassing....

That said, I don't feel a whole lot of compassion for this man. It took him 45 minutes to die? How long did it take his victim to die? And hey, at least we didn't rape him and beat him first.

I'm usually a "middle-of-the-road" type of gal, but my hardline conservative comes out when it comes to punishment. I think if you kill or rape an adult, or hurt any child in any way, you should be kicked out of the gene pool permanently. I know, I know, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind and all that...but how can we let monsters run around in our society?

And it has been my personal opinion for many years now that we need to bring back the gallows and such - have public hangings in the town square on Saturday afternoons and charge admission. Maybe the city could use that money to fill in some of the giant potholes that plague our streets and maybe public execution would act as an actual deterrent to crime. No one is afraid of being punished anymore. They know the punishment will entail a roof over their heads, three meals a day, exercise time, cable, etc... There is no longer any fear of punishment. Public executions would bring that back and I think the crime rates would plummet.

I know, I know, I'm a heartless bitch.... But it's just my own humble opinion.

I would agree. While ruling by fear may be frowned on, if you have done nothing wrong then what do you have to fear. Public executions would sure put a dent in crime rates I think.

originally posted by: DustbowlDebutante
a reply to: FlyersFan

Maybe we could (state by state) come up with several ways to be executed and let the inmate choose. I think that's a great idea!

Firing Squad
Stoning
Injection
Hanging

Any more that anyone can think of?

SnF, FlyersFan - great idea and a very important subject!

Decapitation. As long as the blade's sharp enough, you can't go wrong. And boy, it's quick.

kfor.com...


. .

Many European suppliers refuse to sell the drugs because of their objections to capital punishment, and U.S. manufacturers fear protests and boycotts if they are identified.

Since then, Oklahoma has started using compounding pharmacies to issue the drugs, which are scarcely regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Attorneys for the inmates said because the drugs are not FDA-approved, there is no way to guarantee their safety, citing the case of Oklahoma inmate Michael Lee Wilson, who said, “I can feel my whole body burning,” after being injected with drugs from a compounding pharmacy.

Both Lockett and Warner’s executions were originally scheduled for March, but the state moved the dates to April 22 and April 29, respectively, because it could not obtain the drugs it needed to kill them.

In response to the drug shortage under the old lethal injection protocol, the state changed its execution procedure and now allows five different drug cocktails.

Pruitt said this gives the state the ability to “pivot” when lethal injection drugs are hard to find.

Last week,he also said the state will have an independent lab test the execution drugs manufactured by the compounding pharmacy for purity, ensuring they are safe for use.

Though it is not mandated by the state’s execution protocol, he said he will recommend that ODOC releases the lab’s certification to the public in all future executions.

Pruitt said if the drug’s safety is guaranteed, the only reason to want the manufacturer identified would be to cause controversy.

His office cites an emailed bomb threat to an Oklahoma compounding pharmacy after it was identified as supplying drugs for Oklahoma executions.

Attorneys for Lockett and Warner argue that the certification still does not guarantee the drugs are safe for use because the state is also refusing to identify the independent testing lab.

Furthermore, the attorneys argue, the new drug cocktail that state will use to kill Lockett has never been used before.

“The five

“The five combinations include at least four that would require compounded medicines, which carry significant risks of contamination, dilution, and counterfeiting,” Lockett and Warner’s attorneys wrote in the application for a stay of execution. “They also include two methods that have never been used in Oklahoma, and involve novel drug combinations and dosages never before used in any execution in this country. To say that this new protocol raises concerns about the safety and efficacy of the specified methods would be an understatement."

originally posted by: pez1975
how is it a botched he died wasnt that the end result wanted?

It was 'botched' because he wasn't knocked out and therefore, when he went through the suffocation and heart stopping process, he was awake and talking and moving ... and convulsing ... for 45 minutes instead of 5 - 10.