Two states have carried out the first executions since a botched procedure in Oklahoma back in April.
Georgia executed 59-year-old Marcus Wellons late Tuesday night, and then Missouri putting 49-year-old John Winfield to death about an hour later. (Via Al Jazeera)
Both executions reportedly went smoothly, and both used pentobarbital, a barbiturate that causes respiratory failure in high doses. (Via Flickr / Nottingham Vet School)
It's been two months since the execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett, who suffered a heart attack after he got an untested mixture of drugs.
Critics — including President Obama — called Lockett's death cruel and unusual punishment. (Via CNN)
"What happened in Oklahoma is deeply troubling. ... This situation in Oklahoma, I think, just highlights some of the significant problems [with the death penalty]." (Via CBS)
And controversy remains over the secrecy of states in acquiring lethal injection drugs.
For instance, in Marcus Wellons's execution Tuesday night, The New York Times reports, "Defense lawyers argued that the confidentiality exposed Mr. Wellons to the threat of a cruel and unusual punishment because they could not evaluate the qualifications of members of the execution team or the safety record of the compounding pharmacy."
The U.S. Supreme Court has so far rejected multiple appeals from death row inmates aiming to make states disclose where they get their lethal injection drugs. (Via Flickr / WallyGobetz)
Florida plans to carry out the third execution since Clayton Lockett's death when it puts convicted killer John Henry to death Wednesday night.
