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Arizona man gasps for air as execution takes 117 minutes

murderpedia.org
murderpedia.org

PHOENIX, AZ – An Arizona man’s execution went all wrong Wednesday night – taking 117 minutes – and a judge has ordered the man’s body to be preserved as evidence for an investigation.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to allow the execution of Joseph R. Wood III to go forward after an appeals court had earlier delayed it. Wood had argued that the makers of – and ingredients in – lethal drugs should be made known to him.

The gruesome scene that followed as Wood was executed Wednesday was described by an Associated Press reporter, who said that about ten minutes after the lethal drugs were administered to Wood, “the gasping began. Wood’s jaw dropped, his chest expanded, and he let out a gasp. The gasps repeated every five to 12 seconds.”

Woods’ lawyers tried to get an Arizona court to stop the execution, but failed.

After the execution, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced the execution of Wood. “After several days of legal maneuvering, the execution commenced at 1:52 p.m. at the Arizona State Prison Complex (ASPC)-Florence. He was pronounced dead at 3:49 PM.”

Horne described Woods’ crime that led to his death sentence:

Wood and his 29-year-old ex-girlfriend, Debbie Dietz, had been involved in an unstable relationship for five years, which had been impaired by the numerous breakups and domestic violent incidents during the time. Debbie had been working at a local body shop owned by her family.

On August 7, 1989, Wood walked into the shop and killed Debbie’s father, Gene Dietz. Wood shot the 55-year-old in the chest with a .38 caliber revolver. Gene’s 70-year-old brother was at the scene and tried to stop Wood, but Wood pushed him away while then proceeding to another section of the shop. After Wood found Debbie, he put her in a hold, then shot her once in the abdomen and once in the chest, killing her as well. After killing the two victims, he then fled the building.

Wood was convicted February 25, 1991, and sentenced to death July 2, 1991.

Twice already this year, prison officials couldn’t get executions of prisoners right, leading to a proclamations from the United Nations that the US should impose a moratorium on any further executions. The UN opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.

Thirty-two out of 50 states in the US still have the death penalty in their laws (in addition to the US Government and the US military). Eighteen states in the US have abolished the death penalty, most recently Maryland in 2013 and Connecticut in 2012.

Joseph R. Wood III EXECUTED IN 117 MINUTES
Joseph R. Wood III
EXECUTED IN 117 MINUTES

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