A South Carolina man scheduled for execution is requesting a postponement due to uncertainties surrounding the lethal injection procedure. Marion Bowman Jr.'s execution is slated for January 31st, but he's raising concerns following the November execution of Richard Moore, which reportedly necessitated two doses of the lethal drug, administered more than 11 minutes apart.
An anesthesiologist examining Moore's autopsy discovered fluid in his lungs, suggesting he might have experienced the sensation of drowning during the execution. Moore's legal team argues this indicates potential suffering during the 23 minutes it took for him to die.
While prison authorities haven't explained the need for a second dose in Moore's case, they maintain their procedures align with those of other states. However, this comes just a week after the federal government retracted its execution protocol involving pentobarbital, citing concerns about potential pain and suffering. President Trump has since issued an executive order mandating federal officials to proceed with executions.
A separate review, commissioned by the governor and the prison system, concluded that Moore lost consciousness within minutes and showed no signs of distress, according to anesthesiologist Dr. Joseph F. Antognini. He stated that individuals wouldn't experience pain or suffocation before losing consciousness. Dr. Antognini suggested the second dose of pentobarbital might have been administered due to the heart's irregular beating, which can persist for up to 20 minutes after apparent death and could be detected by a heart monitor. State lawyers emphasized that both Moore and another inmate executed by lethal injection had legal representation present, and neither attorney reported any signs of suffering.
