Oklahoma inmate dies from heart attack after botched execution

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Oklahoma inmate dies from heart attack after botched execution
(Image credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections)

An Oklahoma death row inmate died Tuesday night from a heart attack after officials botched the delivery of a new lethal drug combination that was supposed to kill him.

The New York Times reports that Clayton D. Lockett "began to twitch and gasp" after a doctor had deemed he was unconscious, about 20 minutes after the first drug was administered. Witnesses said that Lockett mumbled "oh man" and tried to lift his head, before the doctor discovered that "the line had blown" and that the drugs, especially the sedative, were no longer entering his bloodstream. His lawyers question the failed veins explanation from prison officials.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.