The investigation on the botched lethal execution of condemned inmate Clayton Lockett on April 29 has forced the Oklahoma state attorney to delay the scheduled execution of Charles Warner. The Washington Post said Lockett's death drew worldwide attention and revived debate on whether death penalty should still be used in the US.
In the process of executing Lockett last week, the convicted murderer's vein had collapsed and appeared to be in pain following the introduction of the three-drug injection in his system. Despite calling off the execution, Lockett died minutes later due to a massive heart attack.
Convicted murderer and child rapist Charles Warner was supposed to be executed two hours after Lockett's, the Post said. However, the circumstances to Lockett's death that same night has prompted Oklahoma Governer Mary Fallin to order to order a two-week stay of Warner's execution. Warner was then expected to be executed on May 13.
The next day, the Post said Fallin announced a review of the state of Oklahoma's execution procedures. Her announcement also revealed that the state will be putting Warner's execution on hold after the probe has been completed. Oklahoma's Department of Corrections head Robert Patton also filed a request to put all executions on hold until measures on carrying out the state's execution would be amended.
Referring to court filings made on Thursday, the Post said Oklahoma Attorney General E Scott Pruitt has agreed to a six-month stay on Warner's execution. The decision was spurred from a request from Warner's attorneys. The filings revealed that Warner had earlier requested the state to provide information about the drugs used in his lethal execution, and of the supplier of the drugs. Warner's attorneys argued that the six-month stay was necessary as the earlier stay granted by Fallin could not accommodate the amount of time needed to complete any reviews or training the state Department of Corrections need to be subject to address the failed execution of Lockett.
