SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
In Botched Execution, Man Given 15 Experimental Lethal Injections
Records reveal Joseph Wood, whose grisly execution grabbed global headlines last week, was given an 'unprecedented' injection of drugs
Aug 02, 2014
Arizona's execution last week of death row prisoner Joseph Wood garnered international headlines when Wood took nearly two hours to die, gulping and snorting 660 times on the gurney following his injection with an experimental cocktail of lethal drugs. Now it has been revealed that, by the time he passed away, Wood had been given 15 times the sedative and painkiller recommended by state protocol.
Records released to Wood's lawyers on Friday show Wood was administered with 50 milligrams each of midazolam and hydromorphone 15 times before he was pronounced dead. The Arizona Department of Corrections admitted Friday that they a total of 750 milligrams of each drug throughout the execution. Arizona's protocol (pdf) for lethal injections prescribes 50 milligrams of each drug, meaning Wood was given far beyond the recommended dose.
"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections show that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Dale Baich, one Wood's lawyers, declared in a written statement. "Instead of the one dose as required under the protocol, A.D.C. injected 15 separate doses of the drug combination, resulting in the most prolonged execution in recent memory."
Medical experts told the New York Times that the dosage levels Wood received are unprecedented. "They're making this up as they go along," said Joel Zivot, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University Hospital.
Wood's was at least the third botched execution using experimental drugs this year, in which men appeared to show pain and distress following their lethal injection, prompting accusations of 'cruel and unusual punishment.' The drug midazolam was used in all three incidents, and medical experts have warned that a cocktail of midazolam and hydromorphone, which is new and untested, could cause excessive suffering. States have increasingly turned to the untested cocktails following a European ban on sales of the drugs for use in executions.
Arizona's attorney general has ordered a temporary stop to state executions pending a review of Wood's case.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
Arizona's execution last week of death row prisoner Joseph Wood garnered international headlines when Wood took nearly two hours to die, gulping and snorting 660 times on the gurney following his injection with an experimental cocktail of lethal drugs. Now it has been revealed that, by the time he passed away, Wood had been given 15 times the sedative and painkiller recommended by state protocol.
Records released to Wood's lawyers on Friday show Wood was administered with 50 milligrams each of midazolam and hydromorphone 15 times before he was pronounced dead. The Arizona Department of Corrections admitted Friday that they a total of 750 milligrams of each drug throughout the execution. Arizona's protocol (pdf) for lethal injections prescribes 50 milligrams of each drug, meaning Wood was given far beyond the recommended dose.
"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections show that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Dale Baich, one Wood's lawyers, declared in a written statement. "Instead of the one dose as required under the protocol, A.D.C. injected 15 separate doses of the drug combination, resulting in the most prolonged execution in recent memory."
Medical experts told the New York Times that the dosage levels Wood received are unprecedented. "They're making this up as they go along," said Joel Zivot, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University Hospital.
Wood's was at least the third botched execution using experimental drugs this year, in which men appeared to show pain and distress following their lethal injection, prompting accusations of 'cruel and unusual punishment.' The drug midazolam was used in all three incidents, and medical experts have warned that a cocktail of midazolam and hydromorphone, which is new and untested, could cause excessive suffering. States have increasingly turned to the untested cocktails following a European ban on sales of the drugs for use in executions.
Arizona's attorney general has ordered a temporary stop to state executions pending a review of Wood's case.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
Arizona's execution last week of death row prisoner Joseph Wood garnered international headlines when Wood took nearly two hours to die, gulping and snorting 660 times on the gurney following his injection with an experimental cocktail of lethal drugs. Now it has been revealed that, by the time he passed away, Wood had been given 15 times the sedative and painkiller recommended by state protocol.
Records released to Wood's lawyers on Friday show Wood was administered with 50 milligrams each of midazolam and hydromorphone 15 times before he was pronounced dead. The Arizona Department of Corrections admitted Friday that they a total of 750 milligrams of each drug throughout the execution. Arizona's protocol (pdf) for lethal injections prescribes 50 milligrams of each drug, meaning Wood was given far beyond the recommended dose.
"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections show that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised," Dale Baich, one Wood's lawyers, declared in a written statement. "Instead of the one dose as required under the protocol, A.D.C. injected 15 separate doses of the drug combination, resulting in the most prolonged execution in recent memory."
Medical experts told the New York Times that the dosage levels Wood received are unprecedented. "They're making this up as they go along," said Joel Zivot, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University Hospital.
Wood's was at least the third botched execution using experimental drugs this year, in which men appeared to show pain and distress following their lethal injection, prompting accusations of 'cruel and unusual punishment.' The drug midazolam was used in all three incidents, and medical experts have warned that a cocktail of midazolam and hydromorphone, which is new and untested, could cause excessive suffering. States have increasingly turned to the untested cocktails following a European ban on sales of the drugs for use in executions.
Arizona's attorney general has ordered a temporary stop to state executions pending a review of Wood's case.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy