Probe after Arizona Execution Takes 2 Hours
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A condemned Arizona inmate has died nearly two hours after being administered with a lethal injection in what his defense lawyer described as a botched execution that should have taken 10 minutes.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne's office said Joseph Rudolph Wood, a double murderer, was pronounced dead at 3:49pm (22:49 GMT), one hour and 57 minutes after the execution started.
Governor Jan Brewer said afterwards that she was ordering a full review of the US state's execution process, saying she was concerned by how long it took for the administered drug protocol to kill Wood.
Wood had filed several appeals that were denied by the US Supreme Court, including one that said his rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution were violated when the state refused to reveal details such as the supplier of the drugs, Al Jazeera reported.
His lawyers had filed an emergency appeal with the court while the execution was under way, saying Wood was "gasping and snorting for more than an hour".
Word that Justice Anthony Kennedy denied the appeal came about a half hour after 55-year-old Wood's death.
Family members of the victims said they had no problems with the way the execution was carried out.
"This man conducted a horrific murder and you guys are going, 'Let's worry about the drugs'", said Richard Brown.
Wood looked at the family members as he delivered his final words, saying he was thankful for Jesus Christ as his saviour.
At one point, he smiled at them, which angered the family.
"I take comfort knowing today my pain stops, and I said a prayer that on this or any other day you may find peace in all of your hearts and may God forgive you all," Wood said.
The case has highlighted scrutiny surrounding lethal injections after two controversial executions, including that of an Ohio inmate in January who snorted and gasped during the 26 minutes it took him to die.
