The State of Oklahoma executed Michael Lee Wilson yesterday by lethal injection.
News media reports are that almost immediately after the injection process began (within 20 seconds), Wilson said, ‘I feel my whole body burning‘ yet his body didn’t react in such a way that any of the witnesses could see his body reacting to the drugs.
According to the State of Oklahoma’s site, the drugs used in Oklahoma executions are: (1) Sodium Thiopental or Pentobarbital – causes unconsciousness; (2) Vecuronium Bromide – stops respiration; and (3) Potassium Chloride – stops heart.
Thomas Knight Executed Using Midazolam Hydrochloride by State of Florida
Just the day before, the State of Florida executed Thomas Knight after he lost his fight against the lethal injection execution method used by Florida executors which involved a new drug, midazolam hydrochloride, because Florida had run out of pentobarbital.
Knight’s lawyers argued that the lethal injection method was unconstitutional because these new drug cocktails have not been medically and scientifically shown not to be cruel and unusual means of executing people.
Ohio Fight Over 2-Drug Execution Method for Dennis McGuire Lethal Injection
Meanwhile, in Ohio, there’s a fight because Ohio wants to use the drug that Florida used in the Knight execution, midazolam hydrochloride, with one other drug — a TWO drug cocktail — to execute Dennis McGuire. Medical experts and attorneys are fighting in federal court on the constitutionality of this new lethal injection method.
Does any of this bother you?