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July 25, 2014

Arizona Pauses Executions Following Botched Lethal Injection 
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Arizona says it will not carry out new executions pending an
investigation into the botched lethal injection of a death row prisoner.
Joseph Wood died Wednesday after a two-hour ordeal that saw him gasping
for air, choking and snorting. He had been injected with a relatively
untested two-drug combination. At a hearing on Thursday, state officials
claimed Wood was never in pain. Wood's attorneys have asked for an
independent probe of what they call "the most prolonged bungled
execution in recent history."
Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center said the U.S.
prison system is experimenting with its death row prisoners.

Richard Dieter: "They're experimenting with new drugs. Every state is
varying the dosage, the mix. (The) first four executions this year were
by four different drugs."

 

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