Oklahoma stops execution after botching drug delivery; inmate dies

An Oklahoma inmate died Tuesday evening of an apparent heart attack after authorities botched the delivery of drugs and stopped his execution.

A story of when death goes bad.

Oklahoma was set to kill two inmates tonight.. Two for the price of one: But at a hefty cost. Things went south fast..

A purposeful state killing tonight of convicted murderer Clayton Lockett did not go as expected. . This is how CNN reported the developing story:

Convicted murderer Clayton Lockett was sedated and then given the second and third drugs in the protocol, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton told reporters. “There was some concern at that time that the drugs were not having the effect, so the doctor observed the line and determined that the line had blown,” he said. When asked what he meant by “blown,” Patton said that Lockett’s vein had “exploded.”

"I notified the attorney general’s office, the governor’s office of my intent to stop the execution and requested a stay for 14 days for the second execution scheduled this afternoon," said Patton, referring to the execution of Charles Warner. Lockett later suffered what appeared to be a heart attack and died, the director said.

Immediately, the state’s Governor issued a stay of execution for Charles Warner.

Damage control occurred as the Governor said an investigation into how the state killing went so wrong would be conducted. 

These are certainly not ‘good guys.’ 

Lockett was convicted for a number of crimes, including home invasions and a crime spree that left someone dead. Warner raped and killed a 11-month-old .. But the notion that killing the killers is the age old moral issue which never seems to be solved. The new cocktails that are given death row inmates are controversial.. What is the ‘best’ way for the state to kill someone? 

Certainly Oklahoma’s experience tonight will be a shock heard across the nation.. And perhaps enough to bring back a debate about the death penalty to the forefront.

Ever since I read and watched the GREEN MILE I have been re-though my youthful support of the death penalty. I have come to question its sense and sensibility, and often think we applaud the killing of other humans at our own peril. Regardless of the crimes they did—and they are unspeakable crimes, for sure—it seems we should find a new way to punish. Certainly, a check on daily headlines will prove, the death penalty has done very little to do what its intended consequence was: To reduce crime.

The GREEN MILE movie presented perhaps one of the most disturbingly memorable scenes I have ever seen in a film. It showcased the electric chair’s amazing ability to cause traumatic pain when used the wrong way. In reality, we have come no further. There may not be electrocutions being botched, but instead now we have cocktails gone awry..

The comments thread on the CNN story of tonight’s botched execution says it all. The majority of writers seem happy that the convicted murderer suffered and some even suggested that shooting criminals int he head would be better than the approach taken now. Seemingly forgotten in the verbal battle over the Oklahoma heart attack is this: How a nation treats its most innocent and also most guilty tells a story about that nation. How do we treat our babies? Our pride and joy? (And yes, some would argue even our fetuses..) And how do we treat our rapists, murderers, thieves, and frauds?

How should we?
Should we care that a criminal died tonight? And does it matter how it happened?

Oklahoma stops execution after botching drug delivery; inmate dies