Ohio: Execution took 15 minutes with new drug combo method

[CaseyJones]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ohio-killer-close-execution-untried-method


A condemned Ohio inmate appeared to gasp several times and took more than 15 minutes to die Thursday as he was executed with a combination of drugs never before tried in the U.S.

Dennis McGuire's attorney, federal public defender Allen Bohnert, called his client's death "a failed, agonizing experiment by the state of Ohio."

McGuire's attorneys had attempting to halt his execution last week, arguing the untried method put him at substantial risk of "agony and terror" while straining to catch his breath as he experienced a medical phenomenon known as air hunger.

McGuire made several loud snorting or snoring sounds during one of the longest executions since Ohio resumed capital punishment in 1999.

[Philhelm]

At least it is more merciful than the State of California's method of execution, as seen on video after Kelly Thomas was street-convicted.

[Dr.3D]

If they have to do such things, why don't they first put them to sleep with general anesthesia?

[moostraks]

I am sure local media will be awash with reasons for why this was not as horrible as it is for our society to handle "justice" in this manner.

[Occam's Banana]

If they have to do such things, why don't they first put them to sleep with general anesthesia?

Because using general anesthesia would defeat the grisly & gruesome purpose of the whole enterprise.
Where's the cathartic satisfaction to be found if the victim doesn't consciously experience the throes of death?

[angelatc]

Well, I do not believe in the death penalty. But at least they picked the right lab rat to make suffer.

He enjoys the throes of death? Fine - let him have a go at it from the victims perspective. Hell, give him a mirror if he like watching people die.


On February 11, 1989, McGuire murdered a pregnant woman, 22-year-old Joy Stewart, in a wooded area near Bantas Creek. Ms. Stewart had met McGuire that day when he was performing work on her friend's house. McGuire raped Ms. Stewart, choked her and stabbed her in the neck and shoulder. While in jail for an unrelated kidnapping charge, McGuire attempted to bargain with police by implicating his relative as the rapist-murderer, but police suspected McGuire because he knew significant facts that were not disclosed to the public. DNA testing, conducted in 1992 and again in 2002 during federal appeals, identified McGuire as the source of the semen found in Ms. Stewart's rectum.

Ohio probably shouldn't use that stuff again, but I won't be losing any sleep over his suffering.

[Warlord]

Sounds like a cruel an unusual punishment

[Dr.3D]

Sounds like a cruel an unusual punishment
I thought the state left that for the cops to do.

[dillo]

Well, I do not believe in the death penalty. But at least they picked the right lab rat to make suffer.

He enjoys the throes of death? Fine - let him have a go at it from the victims perspective. Hell, give him a mirror if he like watching people die.



Ohio probably shouldn't use that stuff again, but I won't be losing any sleep over his suffering.

So because he did horrible stuff he isn't protected by the constitution? Put a bullet in his head, torture isn't something a government should be in control of.

[Ronin Truth]

It's about 10 seconds with cyanide.

[Dr.3D]

It's about 10 seconds with cyanide.
I understand you can make it take longer if you hold your breath.

[Ronin Truth]

I understand you can make it take longer if you hold your breath. Oh boy, talk about a selling point. LOL!

[angelatc]

So because he did horrible stuff he isn't protected by the constitution? Put a bullet in his head, torture isn't something a government should be in control of.

Like I said, I do not believe in the Death Penalty. I don't think he was intentionally tortured - I think it was an experiment.

He violently raped and killed a pregnant woman. Forgive me for having better things to worry about.

[tod evans]

I do believe in the death penalty but I don't think for one moment that it's governments place to execute someone.

[JK/SEA]

Life in prison is far more brutal than execution. And the fact INNOCENT people have been 'terminated' is why i am extremely opposed to the death penalty.

Its also strange that people who foam at the mouth advocating for the death penalty are no better than the actual killer for doing so.

[Ronin Truth]

I do believe in the death penalty but I don't think for one moment that it's governments place to execute someone.
We're killing you to prove to you that killing people is wrong. So there. :confused:

[tod evans]

We're killing you to prove to you that killing people is wrong. So there. :confused:

In this specific case I think the womans family should have been given free reign with the guys life.

Never any government employee.

Sorry man but I firmly believe some folks need killing, I just don't think the bastardized "Just-Us" system is capable of determining who and for what, and I certainly don't think some tax-tick at a gulag should carry out the execution.

[FindLiberty]

Two reasons I'm not in favor of the state killing people (maybe convicted mass-murderers should just spend life in prison instead):

1). The state makes many mistakes; a wrongful prosecution resulting in the execution of an innocent person can't be undone.
It's not even possible to compensate for the time an innocent person spends in prison. (Death is sure final - does it even fit the crime?
Prosecution must be careful; police/labs must not get away unpunished regarding lies about interviews/test results, etc. Let a 12+4 jury carefully decide law applicability and final guilt/punishment - reject this kind of punishment option for accidents, rule infractions, non-violent or victimless crimes and instead focus on victim restitution/compensation if at all possible.)

2.) Humans do not possess positive proof/knowledge about good/evil/sole/afterlife/reincarnation issues. If it's remotely possible that there is a evil sole trapped in a human body that has been captured and caged for mass murder, why chance releasing it by killing it's human host any sooner than necessary? Keep it locked up as long as possible, don't let it die. No parole. No escape. No expensive frills or comforts. Use of excessive non-life threatening cruelty is optional for mass murders (maybe isolation in empty cell 24/7 except for the audio from a Mr. Rogers "Be a good neighbor" themed TV show played only once per month).

Just be damn positive the prosecution has not made any mistakes in the first place! (The fbi crime lab needs to stick with unbiased science and Illinois (Land of Corrupto) needs to improve its ~50% accuracy thing for its "death row"...)

But, if execution is ever ultimately necessary, please make it an ugly slow one, use the mirror suggestion, televise and YouTube it as a deterrent!

[JK/SEA]

i like that...''some folks need killin''...

oops...made a mistake...sorry, here's a million bucks. All better now.

[supermario21]

I do know that in Ohio the state medical association does not allow doctors to participate in executions and there are no protections for them from having their license revoked...

[PierzStyx]

We're killing you to prove to you that killing people is wrong. So there. :confused:


That isn't the basis of the death penalty. That isn't even the argument. Its about punishment, pure and simple. You've taken what you can never return so now your life is forfeit to pay as much as you can.

[dillo]

That isn't the basis of the death penalty. That isn't even the argument. Its about punishment, pure and simple. You've taken what you can never return so now your life is forfeit to pay as much as you can.

Unless your a corporation, then its just negligence and there is a price you pay in $$$$$. Because corporations arent people........oh wait:eek:

[Anti Federalist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s9RYLabxCg

[dillo]

Like I said, I do not believe in the Death Penalty. I don't think he was intentionally tortured - I think it was an experiment.

He violently raped and killed a pregnant woman. Forgive me for having better things to worry about.

An assault on one scumbags rights is an assault on everyones rights

[Christian Liberty]

So because he did horrible stuff he isn't protected by the constitution? Put a bullet in his head, torture isn't something a government should be in control of.

I agree that torture is wrong, but she wasn't actually defending it. Just shrugging her shoulders and saying she has better things to worry about. As do I, BTW.


I do believe in the death penalty but I don't think for one moment that it's governments place to execute someone.

I agree.


We're killing you to prove to you that killing people is wrong. So there. :confused:

We're killing a guilty person to show that killing innocent people is wrong. How's that?

[Dr.3D]

We're killing a guilty person to show that killing innocent people is wrong. How's that?
"You're guilty because we say you're guilty, mundane."

[Christian Liberty]

"You're guilty because we say you're guilty, mundane."

That happens way too often. Hence why I don't approve of the government executing people.

That said, assuming he actually did commit murder, that would be the most serious NAP violation possible, and would deserve death.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Let us all mourn the poor murderer. We all know he tried his hardest to provide his victim a perfectly-painless death, free of stress and fear, so shouldn't he be awarded the same?

[Anti Federalist]

Let us all mourn the poor murderer. We all know he tried his hardest to provide his victim a perfectly-painless death, free of stress and fear, so shouldn't he be awarded the same?

Not the point.

[dillo]

Let us all mourn the poor murderer. We all know he tried his hardest to provide his victim a perfectly-painless death, free of stress and fear, so shouldn't he be awarded the same?

I think its incredibly dangerous to let the government be able to torture people that they think deserve it. Regardless of what anyone personally believes this guy deserved, the idea that the government can torture people is downright scary. Its kind of like being able to drone people without trial scary.

[Gaudius]

Life in prison is far more brutal than execution. And the fact INNOCENT people have been 'terminated' is why i am extremely opposed to the death penalty.

Its also strange that people who foam at the mouth advocating for the death penalty are no better than the actual killer for doing so.

Agree.

A person has the right to liberty which includes the statement: “as long as he does not violate the natural rights of others”. If a person murders another human being, the murderer has used his liberty to violate another human life, and it follows logically that he does not any longer have the complete right to liberty. But it does not follow logically that the murderer is to lose his life. The murderer uses his liberty to kill, the thief uses his liberty to steel, and the pyromaniac uses his liberty to violate another man's property. In all cases it is right-violating use of liberty and therefore, it is the liberty that has to be limited. Of course you will limit (eliminate) the murderer's freedom by death penalty, but according to the statements in the section “imprisonment”, death penalty is right-violating since it limits the liberty of the criminal more than what is necessary for preventing reiteration (preventing his future crimes can always be achieved by less loss of freedom – maximum real life time sentence). The death penalty is not to be a part of the judicial system since we can achieve the purpose (to restrict the liberty of the murderer) in a significantly more civilized way by imprisoning him. The death penalty is only actual as an extreme exception in a chaotic anarchy or war where the situation in practice makes it impossible to physically hold a dangerous murderer locked up in jail. The risk of escaping from prison because of war, civil war, anarchy etc. will legitimate death penalty or converting already sentenced imprisonment to death penalty. The death penalty may also be an option if the convicted murderer asks for this punishment in replacement for long imprisonment. But in this case it has to be proven that this really is his rational wish, and that he does not ask for death penalty as a mentally deranged person. But you do not need to have a legislation that gives killers the opportunity to choose the death penalty instead of long prison sentence – a convicted criminal has no natural right to decide his own punishment.

Extracted from Rational Gaudism (http://rgaud.com/english.htm)

[fisharmor]

It's about 10 seconds with cyanide.

Whatever they do to your pets when they euthanize them takes about that long, and is painless.
Just another example of how the state continually fucks up something the market has had figured out for decades, yet nobody calls them out on it.


That isn't the basis of the death penalty. That isn't even the argument. Its about punishment, pure and simple. You've taken what you can never return so now your life is forfeit to pay as much as you can.

So I don't know if this is your actual position so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're parroting this idiocy instead of advocating it.

Yes, idiocy.

"Pay"?
To whom?
Who has been wronged?
To whom is payment owed?
And who gets the payment?

Who gets the bill for this execution, and continues to pay at gunpoint for the apparatus which conducts it?

Use of the word "payment" in the context of our current judicial system pulls back the curtain and lays bare the entirety of what's wrong with it. There is no victim in our system, there are no individual people being wronged.
The injured party is the state. That is who demands payment.
The victim could be a bowl of rice cereal for all the state cares. If it could get away with murdering its citizens for dumping over bowls of food, it would.
All in the name of paying back, you see.

[Working Poor]

Life in prison is far more brutal than execution. And the fact INNOCENT people have been 'terminated' is why i am extremely opposed to the death penalty.

Its also strange that people who foam at the mouth advocating for the death penalty are no better than the actual killer for doing so.

I hate that people have been confirmed innocent after they have been killed. That is why I am against the death penalty

[phill4paul]

Everyone of the idividuals below could have had thier life extinguished by the state. Many would have cried "Justice" at the moment of thier death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exonerated_death_row_inmates

1970–1979[edit]
1973
1. David Keaton, Florida (Keaton v. State, 273 So.2d 385 (1973)). Convicted 1971.
1974
2. Samuel A. Poole, North Carolina (State v. Poole, 203 S.E.2d 786 (N.C. 1974)). Convicted 1973.
1975
3. Wilbert Lee, Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1963.
4. Freddie Pitts, Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1965.
5. James Creamer, Georgia (Emmett v. Ricketts, 397 F. Supp 1025 (N.D. Ga. 1975)). Convicted 1973.
6. Christopher Spicer, North Carolina (State v. Spicer, 204 SE 2d 641 (1974)). Convicted 1973.
1976
7. Clarence Norris, Alabama. Convicted 1931.
8. Thomas Gladish, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
9. Richard Greer, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
10. Ronald Keine, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
11. Clarence Smith, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
1977
11. Delbert Tibbs, Florida. Convicted 1974.
1978
12. Earl Charles, Georgia. Convicted 1975.
13. Jonathan Treadway, Arizona. Convicted 1975.
1979
14. Gary Beeman, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
1980–1989[edit]
1980
15. Jerry Banks
16. Larry Hicks
1981
17. Charles Ray Giddens
18. Michael Linder
19. Johnny Ross
20. Ernest (Shuhaa) Graham
1982
21. Annibal Jaramillo
22. Lawyer Johnson, Massachusetts (Commonwealth v. Johnson, 429 N.E.2d 726 (1982)). Convicted 1971.
1985
23. Larry Fisher
1986
24. Anthony Brown
25. Neil Ferber
26. Clifford Henry Bowen
1987
27. Joseph Green Brown. He was re-arrested in 2012 and charged with another murder in North Carolina.[2]
28. Perry Cobb
29. Darby (Williams) Tillis
30. Vernon McManus
31. Anthony Ray Peek
32. Juan Ramos
33. Robert Wallace
1988
34. Richard Neal Jones
35. Willie Brown
36. Larry Troy
1989
37. Randall Dale Adams, Texas (Ex Parte Adams, 768 S.W.2d 281) (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1977.[3][4]
38. Robert Cox
39. James Richardson
On April 8, 2010, former death row inmate Timothy B. Hennis, once exonerated in 1989, was reconvicted of a triple murder, thereby dropping him from the list of those exonerated.[5] Sentenced to death by military court-martial 15 April 2010.
1990–1999[edit]
1990
40. Clarence Brandley, Texas (Ex Parte Brandley, 781 S.W.2d 886 (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1981.
41. John C. Skelton
42. Dale Johnston
43. Jimmy Lee Mathers
1991
44. Gary Nelson
45. Bradley P. Scott
46. Charles Smith
1992
47. Jay C. Smith, Pennsylvania. Convicted 1986.
1993
48. Kirk Bloodsworth, Maryland. Convicted 1984. Exonerated 1993; first prisoner to be exonerated by DNA evidence. Serving life in prison when exonerated, as earlier death sentence was overturned.
49. Federico M. Macias
50. Walter McMillan
51. Gregory R. Wilhoit Oklahoma. Convicted 1987. Along with Ron Williamson, Wilhoit later became the subject of John Grisham's 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[6]
52. James Robison
53. Muneer Deeb
1994
54. Andrew Golden

1995
55. Adolph Munson
56. Robert Charles Cruz. (Cruz disappeared in 1997. His remains were found in 2007.[7])
57. Rolando Cruz
58. Alejandro Hernández
59. Sabrina Butler

1996
60. Joseph Burrows. Joseph Burrows was released from death row after his attorney Kathleen Zellner persuaded the real killer to confess at the post-conviction hearing, and Peter Rooney, a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, obtained a recantation from a key witness.[8] The Burrows case was the subject of a book by Rooney titled Die Free: A True Story of Murder, Betrayal and Miscarried Justice.
61. Verneal Jimerson
62. Dennis Williams
63. Roberto Miranda
64. Gary Gauger
65. Troy Lee Jones
66. Carl Lawson
67. David Wayne Grannis
1997
68. Ricardo Aldape Guerra
69. Benjamin Harris
70. Robert Hayes
71. Christopher McCrimmon
72. Randall Padgett
It is later revealed, through additional research by Prof. Samuel Gross of the University of Michigan, that though James Bo Cochran was acquitted of murder, he did plead guilty to a robbery charge in an agreement made with prosecutors prior to his release. Therefore, Cochran is no longer on the list of those exonerated from death row.[9]
1998
73. Robert Lee Miller, Jr.
74. Curtis Kyles.
1999
75. Shareef Cousin, Louisiana (Louisiana v. Cousin, 710 So. 2d 1065 (1998)). Convicted 1996.
76. Anthony Porter, Illinois. Convicted 1983.
77. Steven Smith
78. Ronald Williamson, Oklahoma. Convicted 1988. Along with Gregory R. Wilhoit, Williamson later became the inspiration for and subject of John Grisham's 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[6]
79. Ronald Jones
80. Clarence Dexter, Jr.
81. Warren Douglas Manning
82. Alfred Rivera
2000–2009[edit]
2000
83. Steve Manning
84. Eric Clemmons
85. Joseph Nahume Green
86. Earl Washington, Virginia (pardoned). Convicted 1994 (1984, without life sentence).
87. William Nieves
88. Frank Lee Smith (died prior to exoneration)
89. Michael Graham
90. Albert Burrell
91. Oscar Lee Morris
2001
92. Peter Limone
93. Gary Drinkard
94. Joachin José Martínez
95. Jeremy Sheets
96. Charles Fain
2002
97. Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon, Florida. Convicted 1984.
98. Ray Krone, Arizona (State v. Krone, 897 P.2d 621 (Ariz. 1995) (en banc)). Convicted 1992.
99. Thomas Kimbell, Jr.
100. Larry Osborne
2003
101. Aaron Patterson
102. Madison Hobley
103. Leroy Orange
104. Stanley Howard
105. Rudolph Holton
106. Lemuel Prion
107. Wesley Quick
108. John Thompson
109. Timothy Howard, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
110. Gary Lamar James, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
111. Joseph Amrine.
112. Nicholas Yarris, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania v. Yarris, No 690-OF1982, Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, September 3, 2003. Order vacating conviction). Convicted 1982.
2004
113. Alan Gell
114. Gordon Steidl
115. Laurence Adams
116. Dan L. Bright
117. Ryan Matthews
118. Ernest Ray Willis
2005
119. Derrick Jamison
120. Harold Wilson
2006
121. John Ballard
2007
122. Curtis McCarty
123. Michael McCormick
124. Jonathon Hoffman
2008
125. Kennedy Brewer Mississippi. Convicted 1995.
126. Glen Edward Chapman, North Carolina. Convicted 1995.
127. Levon "Bo" Jones,[10] North Carolina. Convicted 1993.
128. Michael Blair, Texas.
2009
129. Nathson Fields, Illinois. Convicted 1986.
130. Paul House, Tennessee. Convicted 1986.
131. Daniel Wade Moore, Alabama. Convicted 2002.
132. Ronald Kitchen, Illinois. Convicted 1988.
133. Herman Lindsey, Florida. Convicted 2006.
134. Michael Toney, Texas. Convicted 1999. (Toney later died in a car accident on October 3, 2009, just one month and a day after his exoneration.)[11]
135. Yancy Douglas, Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
136. Paris Powell, Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
137. Robert Springsteen, Texas. Convicted 2001.
2010–2013[edit]
2010
138. Joe D'Ambrosio, Ohio. Convicted 1989. (While he was freed in 2010, but not yet exonerated, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the state of Ohio challenging the unconditional writ of habeas corpus and bar to D'Ambrosio's re-prosecution on January 23, 2012, nearly 2 years later, making D'Ambrosio the 140th death row exoneree since 1973.[12])
139. Anthony Graves, Texas. Convicted 1994.
2011
140. Gussie Vann, Tennessee. Convicted 1994.
2012
141. Damon Thibodeaux, Louisiana. Convicted 1997.
142. Seth Penalver, Florida. Convicted 1994.
2013
143. Reginald Griffin, Missouri. Convicted 1983.

[tod evans]

Everyone of the idividuals below could have had thier life extinguished by the state. Many would have cried "Justice" at the moment of thier death.


Government has no business executing anyone.

I advocate for the death penalty to be carried out by the victims family at their discression.

If there's cause to kill someone and I believe there is at times, then the people who suffered should accept full liability for the sentence and execution, no third parties, no governors stay, if the family decides to let the guy walk then that'd be their decision, if they decide to kill him then they get blood on their hands.

[donnay]

Everyone of the idividuals below could have had thier life extinguished by the state. Many would have cried "Justice" at the moment of thier death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exonerated_death_row_inmates

1970–1979[edit]
1973
1. David Keaton, Florida (Keaton v. State, 273 So.2d 385 (1973)). Convicted 1971.
1974
2. Samuel A. Poole, North Carolina (State v. Poole, 203 S.E.2d 786 (N.C. 1974)). Convicted 1973.
1975
3. Wilbert Lee, Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1963.
4. Freddie Pitts, Florida (Pitts v. State 247 So.2d 53 (Fla. 1971), overturned and released by pardon in 1975). Convicted 1965.
5. James Creamer, Georgia (Emmett v. Ricketts, 397 F. Supp 1025 (N.D. Ga. 1975)). Convicted 1973.
6. Christopher Spicer, North Carolina (State v. Spicer, 204 SE 2d 641 (1974)). Convicted 1973.
1976
7. Clarence Norris, Alabama. Convicted 1931.
8. Thomas Gladish, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
9. Richard Greer, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
10. Ronald Keine, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
11. Clarence Smith, New Mexico. Convicted 1974.
1977
11. Delbert Tibbs, Florida. Convicted 1974.
1978
12. Earl Charles, Georgia. Convicted 1975.
13. Jonathan Treadway, Arizona. Convicted 1975.
1979
14. Gary Beeman, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
1980–1989[edit]
1980
15. Jerry Banks
16. Larry Hicks
1981
17. Charles Ray Giddens
18. Michael Linder
19. Johnny Ross
20. Ernest (Shuhaa) Graham
1982
21. Annibal Jaramillo
22. Lawyer Johnson, Massachusetts (Commonwealth v. Johnson, 429 N.E.2d 726 (1982)). Convicted 1971.
1985
23. Larry Fisher
1986
24. Anthony Brown
25. Neil Ferber
26. Clifford Henry Bowen
1987
27. Joseph Green Brown. He was re-arrested in 2012 and charged with another murder in North Carolina.[2]
28. Perry Cobb
29. Darby (Williams) Tillis
30. Vernon McManus
31. Anthony Ray Peek
32. Juan Ramos
33. Robert Wallace
1988
34. Richard Neal Jones
35. Willie Brown
36. Larry Troy
1989
37. Randall Dale Adams, Texas (Ex Parte Adams, 768 S.W.2d 281) (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1977.[3][4]
38. Robert Cox
39. James Richardson
On April 8, 2010, former death row inmate Timothy B. Hennis, once exonerated in 1989, was reconvicted of a triple murder, thereby dropping him from the list of those exonerated.[5] Sentenced to death by military court-martial 15 April 2010.
1990–1999[edit]
1990
40. Clarence Brandley, Texas (Ex Parte Brandley, 781 S.W.2d 886 (Tex. Crim App. 1989). Convicted 1981.
41. John C. Skelton
42. Dale Johnston
43. Jimmy Lee Mathers
1991
44. Gary Nelson
45. Bradley P. Scott
46. Charles Smith
1992
47. Jay C. Smith, Pennsylvania. Convicted 1986.
1993
48. Kirk Bloodsworth, Maryland. Convicted 1984. Exonerated 1993; first prisoner to be exonerated by DNA evidence. Serving life in prison when exonerated, as earlier death sentence was overturned.
49. Federico M. Macias
50. Walter McMillan
51. Gregory R. Wilhoit Oklahoma. Convicted 1987. Along with Ron Williamson, Wilhoit later became the subject of John Grisham's 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[6]
52. James Robison
53. Muneer Deeb
1994
54. Andrew Golden

1995
55. Adolph Munson
56. Robert Charles Cruz. (Cruz disappeared in 1997. His remains were found in 2007.[7])
57. Rolando Cruz
58. Alejandro Hernández
59. Sabrina Butler

1996
60. Joseph Burrows. Joseph Burrows was released from death row after his attorney Kathleen Zellner persuaded the real killer to confess at the post-conviction hearing, and Peter Rooney, a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, obtained a recantation from a key witness.[8] The Burrows case was the subject of a book by Rooney titled Die Free: A True Story of Murder, Betrayal and Miscarried Justice.
61. Verneal Jimerson
62. Dennis Williams
63. Roberto Miranda
64. Gary Gauger
65. Troy Lee Jones
66. Carl Lawson
67. David Wayne Grannis
1997
68. Ricardo Aldape Guerra
69. Benjamin Harris
70. Robert Hayes
71. Christopher McCrimmon
72. Randall Padgett
It is later revealed, through additional research by Prof. Samuel Gross of the University of Michigan, that though James Bo Cochran was acquitted of murder, he did plead guilty to a robbery charge in an agreement made with prosecutors prior to his release. Therefore, Cochran is no longer on the list of those exonerated from death row.[9]
1998
73. Robert Lee Miller, Jr.
74. Curtis Kyles.
1999
75. Shareef Cousin, Louisiana (Louisiana v. Cousin, 710 So. 2d 1065 (1998)). Convicted 1996.
76. Anthony Porter, Illinois. Convicted 1983.
77. Steven Smith
78. Ronald Williamson, Oklahoma. Convicted 1988. Along with Gregory R. Wilhoit, Williamson later became the inspiration for and subject of John Grisham's 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[6]
79. Ronald Jones
80. Clarence Dexter, Jr.
81. Warren Douglas Manning
82. Alfred Rivera
2000–2009[edit]
2000
83. Steve Manning
84. Eric Clemmons
85. Joseph Nahume Green
86. Earl Washington, Virginia (pardoned). Convicted 1994 (1984, without life sentence).
87. William Nieves
88. Frank Lee Smith (died prior to exoneration)
89. Michael Graham
90. Albert Burrell
91. Oscar Lee Morris
2001
92. Peter Limone
93. Gary Drinkard
94. Joachin José Martínez
95. Jeremy Sheets
96. Charles Fain
2002
97. Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon, Florida. Convicted 1984.
98. Ray Krone, Arizona (State v. Krone, 897 P.2d 621 (Ariz. 1995) (en banc)). Convicted 1992.
99. Thomas Kimbell, Jr.
100. Larry Osborne
2003
101. Aaron Patterson
102. Madison Hobley
103. Leroy Orange
104. Stanley Howard
105. Rudolph Holton
106. Lemuel Prion
107. Wesley Quick
108. John Thompson
109. Timothy Howard, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
110. Gary Lamar James, Ohio. Convicted 1976.
111. Joseph Amrine.
112. Nicholas Yarris, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania v. Yarris, No 690-OF1982, Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, September 3, 2003. Order vacating conviction). Convicted 1982.
2004
113. Alan Gell
114. Gordon Steidl
115. Laurence Adams
116. Dan L. Bright
117. Ryan Matthews
118. Ernest Ray Willis
2005
119. Derrick Jamison
120. Harold Wilson
2006
121. John Ballard
2007
122. Curtis McCarty
123. Michael McCormick
124. Jonathon Hoffman
2008
125. Kennedy Brewer Mississippi. Convicted 1995.
126. Glen Edward Chapman, North Carolina. Convicted 1995.
127. Levon "Bo" Jones,[10] North Carolina. Convicted 1993.
128. Michael Blair, Texas.
2009
129. Nathson Fields, Illinois. Convicted 1986.
130. Paul House, Tennessee. Convicted 1986.
131. Daniel Wade Moore, Alabama. Convicted 2002.
132. Ronald Kitchen, Illinois. Convicted 1988.
133. Herman Lindsey, Florida. Convicted 2006.
134. Michael Toney, Texas. Convicted 1999. (Toney later died in a car accident on October 3, 2009, just one month and a day after his exoneration.)[11]
135. Yancy Douglas, Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
136. Paris Powell, Oklahoma. Convicted 1997.
137. Robert Springsteen, Texas. Convicted 2001.
2010–2013[edit]
2010
138. Joe D'Ambrosio, Ohio. Convicted 1989. (While he was freed in 2010, but not yet exonerated, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the state of Ohio challenging the unconditional writ of habeas corpus and bar to D'Ambrosio's re-prosecution on January 23, 2012, nearly 2 years later, making D'Ambrosio the 140th death row exoneree since 1973.[12])
139. Anthony Graves, Texas. Convicted 1994.
2011
140. Gussie Vann, Tennessee. Convicted 1994.
2012
141. Damon Thibodeaux, Louisiana. Convicted 1997.
142. Seth Penalver, Florida. Convicted 1994.
2013
143. Reginald Griffin, Missouri. Convicted 1983.

+Rep This is exactly why I hate the death penalty. Far to many innocent people have been convicted by the state. Far too many prosecutors want to have "wins" under their belt so they can pursue a life of a career criminal err politician.

I met Randall Dale Adams in person, may he rest in peace. He sat on death row for 12 long years accused of killing a Dallas Police officer and was totally innocent. Ironically he was from Ohio. His prosecutor Douglas D. Mulder, nick name "Mad Dog" is one of those prosecutors I loathe--he held back exculpatory evidence pointing to another person (not Adams) at the scene of the crime and manipulated some of the key witnesses. After al, he allegedly kill a police officer and we know they have to finger someone, because the police officer's life is far more precious that and innocent construction worker unluckily in Texas looking for work.

[fisharmor]

I advocate for the death penalty to be carried out by the victims family at their discression.

I do not.
I believe in the death penalty, but I believe that it is only appropriate at the very moment an attempt on your life is being made.
It is appropriate only to stop an imminent death.
Anything after the fact is simple bloodlust.

[asurfaholic]

I do not.
I believe in the death penalty, but I believe that it is only appropriate at the very moment an attempt on your life is being made.
It is appropriate only to stop an imminent death.
Anything after the fact is simple bloodlust.

This is where I stand as well.

[jbauer]

Like I said, I do not believe in the Death Penalty. I don't think he was intentionally tortured - I think it was an experiment.

He violently raped and killed a pregnant woman. Forgive me for having better things to worry about.

Bingo, I'm all for the death penalty when it is 100% proven that the person that did it. They had DNA of this guy in places on the lady he murdered that proved 100% that he did it. Why not feel for the young woman who didn't get her opportunity to live and pursue happiness? Not to mention the baby that died with her?

You think the baby didn't foam at the mouth when it's oxygen supply was cut off?

Eye for an Eye.

[angelatc]

We did not hesitate to wish rape and death at the hands of inmates for the officers who killed Kelly Thomas. If they had been sentenced to death, this thread would be full of people saying this was one instance that they were not going to protest.

But yet we're going to collectively hold hands and sing Kumbaya over a guy who beat, stabbed, raped and murdered a pregnant woman in her early 20's because he suffered a death that was still probably less painful and terrifying than that of his victims.

You guys go ahead without me.

[tod evans]

We did not hesitate to wish rape and death at the hands of inmates for the officers who killed Kelly Thomas. If they had been sentenced to death, this thread would be full of people saying this was one instance that they were not going to protest.

But yet we're going to collectively hold hands and sing Kumbaya over a guy who beat, stabbed, raped and murdered a pregnant woman in her early 20's because he suffered a death that was still probably less painful and terrifying than that of his victims.

You guys go ahead without me.

Don't be lumpin' me in with "you guys".........

I want the dead girls family to be able to decide not some government court system...

[Ronin Truth]

We're killing a guilty person to show that killing innocent people is wrong. How's that?


So are you saying that killing a guilty person to show that killing guilty people is right?

WWJD? (Simple, no?)

[asurfaholic]

So are you saying that killing a guilty person to show that killing guilty people is right?

WWJD? (Simple, no?)


He doesn't care about WWJD.

Plainly put the Christlike attitude is to be forgiving and show love to those who harm us.

Doesnt mean you can't let someone rot in jail, but Christ teaches compassion and forgiveness. Easy to forget at times, but its the truth.

[Occam's Banana]

We're killing a guilty person to show that killing innocent people is wrong.

If "we" have to kill anyone in order to "show" that killing innocent people is wrong, then "we" are pretty much screwed to begin with - and "we" might as well just give up.

And never even mind the fact some of the "guilty" persons "we" kill (in order to "show" that killing innocents is wrong) are inevitably going to be innocent themselves. (What, I wonder, is that supposed to "show?" - "Sorry, Mr. Wrongly-Executed-Innocent-Person! You see, 'we' had to kill you in order to show that killing innocent people is wrong!")

(And what is it with this "we" stuff, anyway ... ?)

[Occam's Banana]

That said, assuming he actually did commit murder, that would be the most serious NAP violation possible, and would deserve death.

The purpose of NAP is to identify when actionable violations deserving of some punishment have occurred. But NAP does NOT tell us what that punishment must (or even should) be - except insofar as any such punishment should not itself violate NAP. As a purely practical matter, it is simply not possible to prevent the execution of innocents under any regime of capital punishment. Since (as you say yourself) murder is the most serious NAP violation possible, capital punishment should be debarred under any NAP-based system.

Of all the pro-death-penalty advocates around here, tod comes closest to getting it right - athough I believe he skips a critical step ...


Government has no business executing anyone.

I advocate for the death penalty to be carried out by the victims family at their discression.

If there's cause to kill someone and I believe there is at times, then the people who suffered should accept full liability for the sentence and execution, no third parties, no governors stay, if the family decides to let the guy walk then that'd be their decision, if they decide to kill him then they get blood on their hands.

I broadly agree with this approach with one very important modification. Once a finding of guilt has been made and a non-lethal sentence has been arrived at, it's "hands off" with respect to the convicted person - IF he complies with the sentence. (By non-lethal, I mean something that does not involve death or grievous bodily injury, Things that can be reversed or mitigated should it turn out that the convicted person is actually innocent - things like resititution, weregild, imprisonment, indentured servitude, etc. - would all be acceptable).

If the convict complies with the sentence, he should continue to enjoy full protection of the law (for example, if his right to life is violated, such violations should be punished). But if the convict does NOT comply fully with the sentence, he becomes an "outlaw" and no longer has any protection from the law regarding violations of his rights (including his right to life). Such "outlaws" can be defrauded, robbed, killed or whatever without legal repercussions. Although all those things involve clear violations of the outlaw's rights, the outlaw - by his own choice - has willingly exempted himself from the protection of his rights under the law when he refused to comply with the verdict & (non-lethal) sentence against him. (Hence, even if the convict is actually innocent of the original offense, by going "outlaw" he will have condoned whatever subesequently happens to him, up to and including his own death - without it having been erroneously imposed upon him by fallible and/or corrupt third parties).

There are some other secondary problems with tod's approach. For example, who counts as "family" - a first cousin? A third cousin twice-removed? What about victims who do not have any family? Can "friends" step up and serve as a proxy for "family?" (Note that the "outlaw" approach mentioned above avoids these problems - anyone can seek to apply punishments to outlaws, regardless of their relation to the original victim.) Also, what about crimes such as simple theft? Do the victims get to decide upon & execute the sentence in those cases? If you steal $10 from me and you are convicted, can I as the victim then decide on a penalty of $10,000 - and then proceed to forcefully sieze that amount of goods from your home? If not, why should things be any different for crimes such as murder?

[tod evans]

Of all the pro-death-penalty advocates around here, tod comes closest to getting it right - athough I believe he skips a critical step ...



I broadly agree with this approach with one very important modification. Once a finding of guilt has been made and a non-lethal sentence has been arrived at, it's "hands off" with respect to the convicted person - IF he complies with the sentence. (By non-lethal, I mean something that does not involve death or grievous bodily injury, Things that can be reversed or mitigated should it turn out that the convicted person is actually innocent - things like resititution, weregild, imprisonment, indentured servitude, etc. - would all be acceptable).

If the convict complies with the sentence, he should continue to enjoy full protection of the law (for example, if his right to life is violated, such violations should be punished). But if the convict does NOT comply fully with the sentence, he becomes an "outlaw" and no longer has any protection from the law regarding violations of his rights (including his right to life). Such "outlaws" can be defrauded, robbed, killed or whatever without legal repercussions. Although all those things involve clear violations of the outlaw's rights, the outlaw - by his own choice - has willingly exempted himself from the protection of his rights under the law when he refused to comply with the verdict & (non-lethal) sentence against him. (Hence, even if the convict is actually innocent of the original offense, by going "outlaw" he will have condoned whatever subesequently happens to him, up to and including his own death - without it having been erroneously imposed upon him by fallible and/or corrupt third parties).

There are some other secondary problems with tod's approach. For example, who counts as "family" - a first cousin? A third cousin twice-removed? What about victims who do not have any family? Can a "friend" step up and serve as a proxy for "family?" (Note that the "outlaw" approach mentioned above avoids these problems - anyone can seek to apply punishments to outlaws, regardless of their relation to the original victim.) Also, what about crimes such as simple theft? Do the victims get to decide upon & execute the sentence in those cases? If you steal $10 from me and you are convicted, can I as the victim then decide on a penalty of $10,000? If not, why should it be any different in cases such as murder?

Me, I'd permit anyone who felt like calling themselves "family" within reason, (victims local community decides not unknown people) to weigh in as a family member...Best friends/shack-ups/second cousins etc....

Also I'm not advocating skipping an honest court hearing that could determine guilt or innocence.....What our nation has now is not such a system.

An honest court system in my eyes would consist of an equal number of people from the victims life and the perpetrators life sitting on a jury, no lawyers just regular people and a learned community elder sitting as referee, (judge if you will)...

No plea bargains ever and the guilty party is liable for all costs associated with the trial.

[Anti Federalist]

We did not hesitate to wish rape and death at the hands of inmates for the officers who killed Kelly Thomas. If they had been sentenced to death, this thread would be full of people saying this was one instance that they were not going to protest.

But yet we're going to collectively hold hands and sing Kumbaya over a guy who beat, stabbed, raped and murdered a pregnant woman in her early 20's because he suffered a death that was still probably less painful and terrifying than that of his victims.

You guys go ahead without me.

Nobody's singing Come By Here for this man, at least I'm not.

I'm saying the only thing that you know about what he did, has been provided by the state and its system.

Which has been wrong way too many times to be trusted to take a man's life.

We don't trust government to fill potholes, but we trust it to kill?

[angelatc]

Nobody's singing Come By Here for this man, at least I'm not.

I'm saying the only thing that you know about what he did, has been provided by the state and its system.




Yeah. A system that includes testimony of witnesses who claim the guy told them he did it, DNA evidence and knowledge of details that were not released to the public.

Unless you want to live in a world where we have video evidence of our whereabouts at all time, at some point the necessity of accepting the fact that sometimes the police actually do arrest and convict the right guy becomes a reality.

Oh by the way, her young grieving husband killed himself before the trial started.

And he apologized to her family before they put the needle in.



(But I'm sure I'll soon hear that the suicide is not the desperate act of a broken man. No, that's the cops covering up evidence of a conspiracy of...well, it must be something!)

[phill4paul]

Yeah. A system that includes testimony of witnesses who claim the guy told them he did it, DNA evidence and knowledge of details that were not released to the public.

Unless you want to live in a world where we have video evidence of our whereabouts at all time, at some point the necessity of accepting the fact that sometimes the police actually do arrest and convict the right guy becomes a reality.

Oh by the way, her young grieving husband killed himself before the trial started.



(But I'm sure I'll soon hear that's not the desperate act of a broken man. No, that's the cops covering up evidence of a conspiracy of...well, it must be something!)

That's not the point and you damn well know it. You are on these forums and I would think that you read the MANY articles posted on the railroading of innocent individuals.

I just provided you a link or did you just skip over that?

Better that we not allow government to carry out death penalties than, through it's use, an innocent is condemned.

Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

[Anti Federalist]

Unless you want to live in a world where we have video evidence of our whereabouts at all time, at some point the necessity of accepting the fact that sometimes the police actually do arrest and convict the right guy becomes a reality.

We already live in that world, and it's gotten worse.

I'm not disputing the fact that "they" arrest and convict the right guy, sometimes, actually most of the time.

I'm saying that "they" do not too many times to be acceptable.

What's a tolerable level of collateral damage and innocent men killed?

Right now it's roughly 20 percent, based on my reading and research.

Should that tolerance be higher or lower?

Or better to admit that the state cannot get this right, just like it can't get most anything else right, and not permit legal killing by the state.

[angelatc]

That's not the point and you damn well know it. You are on these forums and I would think that you read the MANY articles posted on the railroading of innocent individuals.

I just provided you a link or did you just skip over that?

Better that we not allow government to carry out death penalties than, through it's use, an innocent is condemned.

Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?


Speaking of skipping right over stuff, I don't know how I can make it any clearer. I don't think the government should have the right to put people to death. I don't think that other people should have the right to put people to death unless it is in self-defense.

But I am not going to pretend that I actually care that the state gave this piece of garbage an early trip to meet his maker, any more than a lot of us would care if a jury had condemned the cops that killed Kelly Thomas to death.

Trying to making this guy into a poster child is the doing the state a favor.

[Anti Federalist]

Speaking of skipping right over stuff, I don't know how I can make it any clearer. I don't think the government should have the right to put people to death. I don't think that other people should have the right to put people to death unless it is in self-defense.

Oh, I missed that. My apologies, then there is no argument.


But I am not going to pretend that I actually care that the state gave this piece of garbage an early trip to meet his maker, any more than a lot of us would care if a jury had condemned the cops that killed Kelly Thomas to death.

I'd like to think, in spite of my rage, that I'd remain somewhat consistent, and not wish that even on those monsters.

Just like I'll have to bite the bullet and NOT support federal charges against Cucinelli and Ramos.

Double jeopardy is double jeopardy.


Trying to making this guy into a poster child is the doing the state a favor.

Again, not trying to make him into any poster child.

But cruel and unusual is cruel and unusual.

If this were to be made a standard means and drug, of inducing death, it would be torture, cruel and most unusual.

[Cleaner44]

Why is it that my local vet can take care of my pet gracefully and with dignity, while the state fails to do the same with a human being?

[angelatc]

O


I'd like to think, in spite of my rage, that I'd remain somewhat consistent, and not wish that even on those monsters.




I have seen cases (on TV, not personally!) where the families of the victims were anti-death penalty and / or the victim was known to be anti-death penalty, and the state refused to allow the jury to hear that during the sentencing phase.

That bothers me. If the state is the "civilized" solution between anarchy and crazy vigilantism, the sanctioned stoic passionless impartial decider...then why take the outcome farther than a vigilante would have?



If this were to be made a standard means and drug, of inducing death, it would torture, cruel and most unusual. I read somewhere that he was actually chemically rendered unconscious before that drug was administered so I'm not really convinced it was all that cruel.

But the body is programmed to fight death. That's just how it works.

[phill4paul]

Speaking of skipping right over stuff, I don't know how I can make it any clearer. I don't think the government should have the right to put people to death. I don't think that other people should have the right to put people to death unless it is in self-defense.

But I am not going to pretend that I actually care that the state gave this piece of garbage an early trip to meet his maker, any more than a lot of us would care if a jury had condemned the cops that killed Kelly Thomas to death.

Trying to making this guy into a poster child is the doing the state a favor.

Seems you have a poster child of your own.

For someone that doesn't care you certainly want to make a fuss about it.

[tod evans]

Why is it that my local vet can take care of my pet gracefully and with dignity, while the state fails to do the same with a human being?

Because everything government gets involved it it fucks up.........................Everything!