Warren Hill, Georgia inmate scheduled for execution next week

Warren Hill faces execution Tuesday, February 19th at 7pm.

Georgia inmate Warren Hill is scheduled to be executed next week at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.

Hill was previously scheduled to be executed last July but just two short hours before his death sentence was to be carried out, the Georgia Supreme court issued an administrative reprieve as the method of his execution was being called into question – as the state was switching between the typical 3-drug method for lethal injection to the new single drug, Pentobarbital method.

At issue this time around is Hill’s mental disability. According to Georgia judges Hill is considered “mentally retarded” with an IQ of only 70. While most states would recognize a 70 IQ as mental disability, Georgia holds the highest burden of proof for intellectual disabilities and in this particular case will proceed with the execution.

Kimberly McCarthy gets a 60 day stay of execution

Just hours before her scheduled execution, Kimberly McCarthy received a stay until April 3rd, 2013.

State District Judge Larry Mitchell approved McCarthy’s attorneys request for a stay, they appealed for more time to prepare a case that the jury that convicted and sentenced her to death was improperly selected based on race; the jury was mostly white.

If executed, McCarthy will only be the 4th woman inTexas executed since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976.

Rare female execution to take place in Texas tomorrow

If her execution proceeds, Kimberly McCarthy will be the first woman to be executed in the United States  in more than 2 years.

McCarthy was convicted for the 1997 murder of her neighbor, Dorothy Booth, in Lancaster, Texas. McCarthy went next door under the pretense of borrowing some sugar from Booth  but then stabbed her five times and then stole her diamond ring by cutting off her finger. McCarthy is also the suspect in the murder of two other women.

The last female execution was Teresa Lewis who was put to death on September 23rd, 2010 in Virginia.

Pentobarbital: The new standard for lethal injection

By Shannon Gwynne

Murder and killing. What do we think of when we hear those words? Most of us would say the scum of the earth who live their days planning out what it would be like to kill their spouse, friend or even a complete stranger. Then we can ask, what fuels these people to do the unthinkable? Jealousy, rage, or a sense or power over an individual or even a group of people.

In the book “A murderer next door: Why the mind is designed to kill” by David Buss, about 91 percent of men and 87 percent of women have had at least one thought of what it would be like  to kill someone. Does this make us all sick sociopaths? The answer is no. Why? Because the majority of us know right from wrong and can realize the consequences that these actions can have. However, in some people their sense of judgement is clouded by thoughts of murder. Do these people realize what lies ahead for them if they are caught? Many don’t. After justice has been served, most of these people are given anywhere from multiple life sentences to the death penalty.

I currently live in Canada, where the death penalty was abolished a long time ago, but in some countries like the United States, the method of putting someone to death for a heinous crime is still present. Thousands of people have been hung, shot, stoned, electrocuted and the most modern method is lethal injection.

Lethal injection can be quite the controversial topic. For the past few years it has been known as the “3 drug cocktail” – made up of sodium pentothal, pavulon and potassium chloride. The sodium pentothal begins to shut down the nervous system and render the person unconscious. The pavulon slows down the heart beat and blocks the exchanges between the heart and muscles. Finally the potassium chloride stuns the heart to stop it all together, resulting in a hopefully-painless death. While some people may believe the word “painless” and “criminal” don’t go together, there has to be some sense of humanity left in these individuals.

There are 35 states in the United States that have the death penalty. Ohio is the only state which has now switched to the new cocktail – pentobarbital. However there is quite some controversy to this method because it hasn’t been tested yet.

Pentobarbital can be compared to an extremely strong sleep aid. It is used during animal operations and has even been used in some heart surgeries. Essentially, Ohio would be using a large amount of the drug to make it lethal.

There has been an ongoing battle with states regarding the use of pentobarbital in executions. This is because it has not been tested and it brings up the question of is the execution constitutional. So a big question is, will this put executions on hold? Will murders and rapists sit in their confined cell, with 3 meals per day as the system figures out all the bugs with the new method?

It seems everyone has mixed opinions on the new drug. The Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck Inc. who produces the drug even said they don’t want their drug being used for executions.

Another common question could be what are the side effects of the drug? Well since it isn’t tested it is hard to know. However in one case in Alabama, Thomas Douglas Arthur was supposed to be put to death but his lawyer Suhana Hun argued, saying it could knock her client out completely. She continued to say this could make injections extremely painful and could fall under the category of “cruel and unusual punishment”. Arthur spent most of his time on death row narrowly escaping his fate by requesting appeals for the “punishment”. His case is still pending.

The way I see it, is that someone who commits murder of someone deserves exactly what is coming to them. Again, this is coming from someone whose country does not have the death penalty. Whether it is pentobarbital or the traditional cocktail, the criminal knows what is coming. There is no evading it once you are strapped on that table. The controversy of pentobarbital continues, as long as the death penalty does.

Last execution of 2012 carried out in Florida

Former Florida police officer, Manuel Pardo, 56-years-old was executed tonight at Florida State Prison in Starke.

Pardo was found guilty of the murdering 9 people of a three month period in 1986. Pardo never claimed innocence and insisted that he was doing society a favor by killing these people, many were associated with drugs. During his 1988 trial Pardo argued, ”I am a soldier, I accomplished my mission and I humbly ask you to give me the glory of ending my life and not send me to spend the rest of my days in state prison.”

Even with a background in investigation Pardo was caught by a rather mundane mistake, he was caught using credit cards from the victims.

Pardo was also known as “Death Row Romeo” as he had befriended many women while in prison and had gotten them to send him money.

Pardo was declared dead at 7:47pm EST.