The Lawyer of convicted Kenneth Williams who was executed Thursday by lethal injection has called for a thorough investigation after Williams repeatedly convulsed during his execution.
Witnesses said he was coughing, lurching, jerking and convulsing for up to 10-20 seconds during his execution at the Cummins Unit, Arkansas. There were questions raised about the use of the controversial lethal injection drug. The stocks of the drugs in Arkansas are about to expire. The state has been accused of hasty executions. It has carried out a series of executions in just one week.
Kenneth Williams was the fourth to be executed within a week.
Media testimony
According to Kelly Kissel, a reporter who witnessed the execution said, “The case of Williams is the most horrific I have witnessed where an inmate moves three to four minutes in execution.” He further explained that Williams lurched up to 15 times in quick succession, followed be series of slower lurches, three to four minutes after sedative midazolam lethal injection was introduced.
William’s Defense Counsel requested for an independent inquiry and described the execution as horrifying. “The is really disturbing, but not a surprise, considering the history of the sedative midazolam lethal injection in stock, which has been used in what could be described as hurried executions.
The most important thing is that all the information about the execution must be carefully examined, documented and preserved so that we can analyze and discover exactly what transpired during the execution,” he said.
Official denials
Arkansas State officials have rebuffed the allegations saying that the media exaggerated the report.
Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson said at a press conference that the Director of the State’s Department of Correction Wendy Kelly reported that William coughed without making any sound, contrary to media witness' claims.
The executions were implemented in accordance with the protocols. There was no sign of pain in any of the four executions so far.
I don’t see any reason for an inquiry other than the check that is done contrary to the suggestions by the Lawyer to Williams.
Williams' crime
William was Sentenced To Death in 1998 for the murder of a University of Arkansas cheerleader. He was 20, during the sentencing, but served only one-month jail term when he escaped from the Cummins unit and went into hiding inside a barrel of a pig slop. He shot and killed Cecil Boren, and stole his truck.
He was also sentenced to death in 1999 for the murder of Becil Boren.
