Two Arkansas death row inmates have asked a federal judge to halt their executions because they say they are too obese for the drugs to effectively work on them.
KATV reports, Marcel Williams and Stacey Eugene Johnson have made the request. Williams' lawyer writes in a brief that Williams gained 200 pounds while in prison and that when he went to prison he weighed 195 pounds.
"Williams has been housed in extreme solitary confinement, he has gained 200 pounds and developed high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. The prison has recorded Mr. Williams' body mass index at 48.74," his lawyer writes in a brief.
Johnson's lawyer wrote that he weighs about 350 pounds and suffers from hypertension and sleep apnea.
Dr. Joel Zivot, an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, found that Johnson's large size could botch the execution and "makes it more likely that the execution will fail and Mr. Johnson will be left alive, but disabled from the attempt."
They also argue the executioners will not be able to find a vein.
For more on this from KATV click here.
Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!