Ledell Lee was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. Had some exterior factor delayed his arrival into the death chamber at Arkansas' Cummins Unit prison at 11:40 p.m., Lee's life might have been spared, as his death warrant was set to expire when the clock struck midnight.
Lee was the first prisoner to be put down by the state in 17 years, as Arkansas hasn't executed a prisoner since 2005. He will be the first of several prisoners marked for lethal injection in the coming days, as the state rushes to clean its rolls before a drug required to produce the poisonous cocktail used in the procedure expires on April 30. Lee is reported to have died swiftly, with the entire process taking a total of 12 minutes.
The lethal injection method of execution has received criticism over the past several years. Because it can be difficult to get the right mix, the cocktail has at times resulted in painful and unexpectedly long executions deemed by activists, and some lawmakers, as cruel and unusual. It has also become increasingly difficult for states to obtain certain drugs, because their suppliers in Europe have increasingly drawn back from providing them the drugs for conscientious reasons.
"Apparently the reason the state decided to proceed with these eight executions is that the `use by' date of the state's execution drug is about to expire...In my view, that factor, when considered as a determining factor separating those who live from those who die, is close to random," Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer said, referring to the expiration of midazolam, in dissent of the court's 5-4 decision to deny a stay for Lee. New Trump Supreme Court appointee Neil Gorsuch accounted for one of the votes responsible for seeing that Lee's execution go through.
Lee was sentenced to death for his conviction in the murder of neighbor Debra Reese, who he was charged with pummeling with a tire tool and robbing of $300 in 1993. Eight other death row convicts were originally motioned to be put to death before the impending deadline, but three of those cases were canceled via court appeal. Two more inmates are scheduled for execution on Monday, April 27.
Source: foxnews.com
