US3 min(s) read
Horrific details of death row inmate's botched execution that left him writhing in agony for 43 minutes
A death row inmate endured a horrific 43-minute execution after prison officials were unable to find a vein for almost an hour for the lethal injection, with the botched procedure leaving witnesses horrified.
Clayton Lockett, 38, was executed at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in the US after being convicted of murder, rape, and kidnapping.
Details of man's horrific execution emerge
His crimes dated back to 1999, when he shot 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman before watching two accomplices bury her alive, after Neiman and a friend had stumbled across the group while they were burgling a property.
But Lockett's own death would become the center of a major controversy in 2014, after his execution went horrifically wrong, when, on the day of the procedure, medical staff reportedly spent more than 50 minutes attempting to locate a suitable vein through which they could administer the lethal drugs.
After they failed to find one in his arms, legs, and neck, they eventually attempted to access a vein in his groin, with documents later revealing that dozens of needle marks had been left across his body.
However, the attempt reportedly went horribly wrong when a doctor punctured an artery instead, causing blood to spray across members of the execution team and leaving the chamber in what was described as a "bloody mess".
The situation became even more disturbing after the lethal injection drugs were administered, with Lockett violently convulsing on the gurney, lifting his head and shoulders while making agonized noises.
Witnesses described him appearing to struggle and attempt to speak as the execution descended into chaos, and just 16 minutes after the procedure began, prison officials lowered the blinds covering the viewing window, preventing those watching from seeing what was happening inside.
Despite the injection, Lockett remained alive for a further 43 minutes before eventually dying, with a paramedic who witnessed the events later describing the confusion surrounding the failed attempt to access his vein.
Speaking to The Guardian, the paramedic remembered warning another member of staff: "You've hit the artery."
He also remembered saying: "We've got blood everywhere."
The paramedic suggested the person attempting the procedure had not initially realized what had unfolded, adding that the disturbing situation had left staff members anxious.
Local journalist Courtney Francisco, who was also present, told the BBC that Lockett appeared to be mumbling "as if he was trying to talk".
Authorities condemn execution
His lawyer, David Autry, was equally horrified by what he had witnessed, "It was a horrible thing to witness. This was totally botched," he claimed.
The incident prompted an immediate response from Oklahoma's political leadership, with Governor Mary Fallin ordering an independent investigation, as well as temporarily suspending other scheduled executions while officials reviewed the state's procedures.
Lockett's execution became one of the most infamous examples of a lethal injection going wrong in modern American history, raising serious questions about whether the method could guarantee a quick and painless death, with Christa Pike’s recent failed execution another example of a high-profile lethal injection being unsuccessful.