Botched execution likely painful, doctors say (we're supposed to feel bad)

AP ^ | ET Dec 16, 2006 | AP

[Hacksaw]

Some speculate this week’s lethal injection caused slow, excruciating death

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Death penalty foes have warned for years of the possibility that an inmate being executed by lethal injection could remain conscious, experiencing severe pain as he slowly dies. That day may have arrived. Angel Nieves Diaz, a career criminal executed for killing a Miami topless bar manager 27 years ago, was given a rare second dose of deadly chemicals as he took more than twice the usual time to succumb. Needles that were supposed to inject drugs into the 55-year-old man’s veins were instead pushed all the way through the blood vessels into surrounding soft tissue. A medical examiner said he had chemical burns on both arms.

“It really sounds like he was tortured to death,” said Jonathan Groner, associate professor of surgery at the Ohio State Medical School, a surgeon who opposes the death penalty and writes frequently about lethal injection.

[Hacksaw]

I see that the Associated Press found an objective doctor to give his opinion - a surgeon who opposes the death penalty and write frequently about his opposition.

I hope the doc is not an abortion supporter.

[al baby]

I hope he suffered big time does that make me bad oh well

[mosquewatch.com]

He felt some pain did he ?

Good.

[Shire]

It's not like the person he killed suffered any torture......(sarc)

[dead]

Botched execution likely painful

Reason #32,234 to not get caught being a murderer.

[TommyDale]

My guess is that the murderer's original victim felt more pain.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Poor guy /s.....did the author ask the victim's family how they feel about their loved one never coming home again?. Cry me a river.

[I see my hands]

Only one lesson to be learned here: Don't commit capital crimes.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Angel Nieves Diaz, a career criminal executed for killing a Miami topless bar manager 27 years ago.

27 years ago!? That is cruel and unusual punishment to the victim's family to have him hang around that long.

[CremeSaver]

"Botched execution likely painful,"

Well, I certainly hope it is. I hope they all are painful. A guy (didn't catch his name), on FOX News yesterday thinks that murderers should be put to death in the same way that they killed their victims, i.e., if they shot their victim, they should be shot. If they strangled their victim, they should be strangled, etc. It will never happen of course, but I like the idea.

[az wildkitten]

I've got an idea, let's use Death Row inmates as practice dummies for doctors, nurses, dentists and tattoo artists.

[digger48]

A little messy, but quite quick and effective

and a bit more of a "Message"....

[Clintonfatigued]

I understand that the man executed was a loathsome person. However, we must look at the big picture. Every time an execution is botched or carried out in an unprofessional way, it gives death penalty opponents ammunition for their cause. So it must be done right, and it wasn't in this case. So Jeb Bush was right to (temporarily) suspend executions. This doesn't mean the end of execution for heinous murderers. But the death penalty could be aboilished if there are more incidents like this.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

My solution: Go back to guillotine. IT's quick..causes no pain.Person dies instantly.Just pull the lever, blade drops. Boom. One dead bad guy.
The most likely solution is to find a more effective cocktail of exection.
I do find it intresting that none of these doctors concerned about "pain" don't want to discuss if babies in womb experience pain when aborted.
Kind of a dual standard.

[Hacksaw]

My guess is that the murderer's original victim felt more pain.

I wonder if the doctor they interview is "pro-choice".

[Hacksaw]

I've got an idea, let's use Death Row inmates as practice dummies for doctors, nurses, dentists and tattoo artists.

Or live sniper targets for military training.

[Washi]

27 years?!?!?!

That is cruel an unusual. The state needs to show some compassion and kill these dirtbags much sooner.

I am opposed to the murderer suffering any more distress and pain than his victim suffered. It should be exactly proportionate.

[LowOiL]

"27 years ago!? That is cruel and unusual punishment to the victim's family to have him hang around that long."

.

Not a Deterrent in America?

God promises that the death penalty is a reliable deterrent:

* "So you shall put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously." Deut. 17:12-13

Yet, the death penalty as executed through American courts is not much of a deterrent. Wise King Solomon 2,900 years ago explained why this is so:

"Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Eccl. 8:11

[Hacksaw]

My solution: Go back to guillotine. IT's quick..causes no pain.Person dies instantly.Just pull the lever, blade drops. Boom. One dead bad guy.

Good idea - but according to reports from the French revolution, sometimes the person was conscious after his head was chopped off! The executioners got into the habit of holding the head up so that the eyes would face the decapitated body (as in ha-ha, look what just happened to you) in case there was any sentience left. Sometimes they would throw the head into a fire.

Basically, a firing squad would be more than adequate - a good shot to the head would cease all brain activity. If they missed, ooops lets try again.

[TommyDale]

The guy that killed my brother didn't worry about his pain and suffering. I would volunteer to personally pull the switch to Old Sparky for these guys.