OHIO RAPIST-MURDERER CROAKED FOR 15 MINUTES

From the time the injection of midazolam and hydromorphone was administered, it took 15 minutes before rapist-murderer Dennis McGuire was pronounced terminally rehabilitated

The U.S. Supreme Court did not buy Dennis McGuire’s appeal for halting the execution because a jury never heard the full extent of his chaotic and abusive childhood. And U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost’s ruling that the risk of McGuire suffering breathing problems was within constitutional limits held up. The rapist-murderer was put to death Thursday morning.

Alan Johnson of The Columbus Dispatch witnessed the execution and here is his description: “After being injected at 10:29 a.m., about four minutes later McGuire started struggling and gasping loudly for air, making snorting and choking sounds which lasted for at least 10 minutes. His chest heaved and his left fist clinched as deep, snorting sounds emanated from his mouth. However, for the last several minutes before he was pronounced dead, he was still.”

McGuire’s lawyers had contended that the new execution drugs would result in an agonizing and painful death as he experienced the terror of straining to catch his breath. Allen Bohnert, one of McGuire’s attorneys, crowed: [The execution was a] “failed, agonizing experiment by the state of Ohio. The people of the state of Ohio should be appalled by what was done in their name. What we suggested to the court did happen.”

There is no evidence that McGuire actually suffered the agonizing and painful death claimed by his attorneys. While he ‘struggled, repeatedly gasping loudly for air and making snorting and choking sounds,’ he was most likely not conscious at the time.

However, you can bet that if Ohio attempts to carry out any further executions with midazolam and hydromorphone, defense attorneys will appeal on the same grounds as McGuire’s lawyers – that the execution drugs would result in an agonizing and painful death as he experienced the terror of straining to catch his breath – and because of Alan Johnson’s description, which they will use in their appeals, they will probably succeed.

Rather than being appalled by what was done in their name, the people of Ohio should be celebrating that this worthless piece of shit has finally been terminally rehabilitated.

ADDENDUM: I also posted this on PACOVILLA Corrections blog. Before he retired as Assistant Secretary of the California Corrections Department, Richard C. Krupp, Ph.D., was in charge of CDCR's audits & compliance. Here is Dr. Krupp’s comment concerning my post:

I believe as much as possible should be done to ensure a painful and agonizing death for rapist-murderers like the one re-aligned in Ohio. Suffering breathing problems alone is not sufficient. The ancient “Death by a thousand cuts” might be appropriate. Small cuts would be made until the criminal bleeds to death. Or maybe “Death by Pressing.” A metal plate would be placed on the criminal’s chest as he/she lies on the floor. Heavy weights are placed on the metal plate until the heavy weight presses the lungs of the criminal preventing him/her from breathing.

There are other methods described in the book, The History of Torture, by George Ryley Scott.

BREAKING NEWS: : The Associated Press reports that the family of executed rapist-murderer Dennis McGuire plans to sue the State of Ohio for violating his Constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment. In representing the family, Dayton defense lawyer John Paul Rion said Thursday all citizens have a right to expect they won’t be punished in a cruel and unusual fashion.

I suspect the family and Rion are going to use the graphic description of the execution by Alan Johnson of The Columbus Dispatch in their filing of the lawsuit. They will be doing so without one shred of evidence that the worthless piece of shit was actually conscious of what the death chamber witnesses saw his body undergoing.