COLUMBUS, Ohio – Initial reviews indicate everything went according to plan in the Jan. 16 execution of Dennis McGuire of Preble County, whose execution brought international attention and legal challenges after he gasped for breath and took longer than usual to die.
"The process worked very well," wrote Donald Morgan, warden of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, in an "after-action review" immediately after overseeing the execution. Morgan has overseen at least a dozen executions.
The two completed reviews are mandated by the state's execution protocol, and were obtained by the Dayton Daily News using Ohio's public records laws. A third review is underway of McGuire's execution specifically, which is not usually done, state prison officials said.
McGuire was executed with a two-drug cocktail previously unused for executions. His death took roughly 25 minutes, making it the longest of the 53 since Ohio resumed executions using lethal injection in 1999. It featured an unusual 10 minutes of him intermittently gasping and snorting for air while apparently unconscious.
McGuire raped and killed Joy Stewart in 1989. Stewart was nearly eight months pregnant. Her family has released statements saying "he is being treated far more humanely that he treated her."
McGuire's unusual death led to calls for a moratorium on executions from death penalty foes, and a federal lawsuit from McGuire's family saying his death was "cruel and unusual" and that the drugs were not tested and approved for capital punishment.
As required, the first review following the execution was done immediately afterward by Warden Morgan, who had stood over McGuire as he died. It asked whether there were any contingencies identified in advance or acts or events that occurred that were not anticipated. Morgan answered "No" to both questions.
The second review was completed by appointed special assistant Joseph Andrews. Per the protocol, Andrews reviewed the execution and found it went according to plan, the right drugs were used and that everyone was properly qualified.
