Latest news with #OldSparky
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Daily Mail
The execution that haunts prison worker 28 years later: Death row officer had therapy for a decade after horrific mishap filled cells with the smell of 'burning flesh'
A man who was once the head of Florida 's execution programme revealed one death went so horribly wrong that he needed therapy to come to terms with it. Ron McAndrew, now 88, witnessed executions using the electric chair in Florida, but one traumatising death never left him and the botched execution led to the prison ending the use of the electric chair. The former prison warden didn't aspire to be a correctional officer but he had climbed the ladder after being hired in a Miami prison in 1979. McAndrew watched over the execution of three inmates in total, including murderer John Bush who was sentenced to death for his part in the kidnap and murder of 18-year-old Frances Julia Slater. John Mills Jr. was sentenced to the chair for the abduction and murder of Les Lawhon in Wakulla County, Florida, in 1982. However, the execution of Pedro Medina, a Cuban refugee, was something McAndrew claimed he would 'never forget' and was the death that made him stand down from his role. Executed in 1997 for the murder of 52-year-old former school teacher Dorothy James, the circumstances of his execution elevated objections to the use of electrocution as a means of capital punishment. Speaking to The Sun, McAndrew revealed the chair malfunctioned, saying: 'We didn't electrocute this man. We literally burned him to death.' Medina's last words before being executed were 'I am still innocent', before the electric chair known as Old Sparky, malfunctioned, causing flames to shoot out of Medina's head. He said: 'His body was on fire and there was no way I could stop it. I had to let it run its course.' McAndrew revealed he witnessed the flames coming out from the inmate's head, and said there was a horrific smell. Speaking in a Death Penalty Action video, he explained: 'I heard a pop and within a few seconds the smoke and fire came up from under that helmet and in fact it came up into my face. 'The smoke got blacker and blacker and blacker, the electrician who is wearing these big lineman gloves had his hands ready to take the helmet off his head, he looked at me and said "continue?" 'But there was no way we could stop at that point, I said "absolutely continue", the room started filling with smoke, the smoke went upstairs, all the inmates on death row could smell the burning flesh. 'I had it all over my body, I threw my clothes away that day, I couldn't scrub hard enough to get that smell off me... it was a bad day. 'I believe he knew he was being burned to death. This is much less then we should be as Americans, much less.' The electric chair (pictured in Florida State Prison) is still a permitted execution method, but it is not the primary one. While lethal injection is now the standard, inmates on death row can request execution by electrocution Despite Medina's cruel crimes, the executioner claimed he also felt some sympathy for him because of his 'sad story'. His family were poor and Medina and his brothers used to rob food and beg tourists for money. The brother used to put all the money they gathered into a basket at the end of the day and buy bread and cheese to eat. 'That's the day I had to sit down and have a real serious talk with myself about what I was doing,' McAndrew admitted. The horrendous incident resulted in the governor sending McAndrew to Texas to learn more about the lethal injection. After that botched execution, Florida State Prison adopted for the new lethal injection method going forward. However, the former correctional officer vowed to never stand in the 'death room' ever again and he called the secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections and asked to 'get the hell out of there'. McAndrew was transferred to the Central Florida Reception Centre in Orlando. The experience changed his outlook on the death penalty forever, which he called a 'premeditated, ceremonial, political killing'. McAndrew claimed it was a 'horrible joke' to leave a man in a cell for 30-years but then kill him when he's an old man. He claimed that life without parole is the better option because it leaves the possibility of innocence open and the prisoner can 'contribute to society' by working. He insisted governors use capital punishment as political tools for popularity, claiming the number of executions rise during election years. The former correctional officer revealed that he was forced to go to 13 years of therapy following his experiences on death row. He claimed if he could turn back time, he says he would turn down the offer he received to work on death row. The electric chair is still a permitted execution method, but it is not the primary one. While lethal injection is now the standard, inmates on death row can request execution by electrocution.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
Lethal injection, electrocution and now firing squads. A look at US execution methods
HOUSTON (AP) — South Carolina is preparing this week to execute a man by firing squad, a capital punishment method that hasn't been used in the U.S. in nearly 15 years. Since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on capital punishment in 1976, states have used five different execution methods: lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad and hanging. Brad Sigmon is scheduled to die Friday in South Carolina. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat at their home in 2001. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Here's a look at how the U.S. executes people: Most US executions are by lethal injection Lethal injection has been the preferred method in the modern era, with 1,428 carried out since 1976. Texas has done the most, killing 593 inmates, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit center. Twenty-eight states as well as the U.S. military and U.S. government authorize the use of lethal injection, in which an inmate has a deadly mixture of drugs injected into them as they are strapped to a gurney. But throughout its use, lethal injection has been plagued by problems, including delays in finding suitable veins, needles becoming clogged or disengaged and problems with securing enough of the required drugs. 'A number of states are beginning to experiment with new methods of execution ... because of the problems with lethal injection,' said John Banzhaf, a professor emeritus of law at George Washington University Law School. Use of electrocution is down since 2000 Nine states authorize the use of electrocution, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1976, 163 electrocutions have been carried out. But only 19 have been done since 2000. In this method, a person is strapped to a chair and has electrodes placed on their head and leg before a jolt of between 500 and 2,000 volts runs through their body. The last electrocution took place in 2020 in Tennessee. Texas used electrocution from 1924 to 1964, killing 361 inmates, according to the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The electric chair Texas used was nicknamed 'Old Sparky.' It is now displayed at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, where the state's death chamber is located. Alabama resumes the use of lethal gas Lethal gas is authorized as the default execution method in eight states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming. From 1979 to 1999, 11 inmates were executed using this method, in which a prisoner would be strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber before it was filled with cyanide gas. In 2024, Alabama revived this method when it became the first state to use nitrogen gas to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith. A mask is placed over a prisoner's face and nitrogen gas is pumped in, depriving the person of oxygen and resulting in death. Alabama's last such execution took place in February. Firing squads are rarely used in the modern era Since 1977, only three inmates have been executed by firing squad and all were in Utah, with the last one in 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states including Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah authorize its use, but it is not the primary execution method. For this method, an inmate is usually bound to a chair and is shot through the heart by a group of prison staffers standing 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) away. Idaho has had firing squad executions on the books as a backup if lethal injection drugs are unavailable since 2023. But in the wake of last year's botched lethal injection attempt on Thomas Eugene Creech, lawmakers are considering a bill to make firing squads the primary execution method. The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Doug Ricks, has suggested Idaho could use a firing squad machine, triggering the guns electronically to eliminate the need for additional execution team members. Hanging was once the primary execution method In the U.S., hanging was the main method of execution until about the 1890s, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Data collected by researchers of U.S. executions from 1608 to 2002 found 9,322 people were put to death by hanging, in which a person was blindfolded and their hands and legs were secured before a noose was placed around the neck and they fell through a trap door. But in capital punishment's modern era, only three individuals in the U.S. have been executed by hanging in 1993, 1994 and 1996. New Hampshire's remaining death row inmate could be executed by hanging if lethal injection is not available. ___ Associated Press video journalist Cody Jackson in Fort Pierce, Florida, and writer Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at juanlozano70.
Boston Globe
03-03-2025
- Boston Globe
Lethal injection, electrocution, and now firing squads. A look at US execution methods.
Here's a look at how the U.S. executes people: Most US executions are by lethal injection Lethal injection has been the preferred method in the modern era, with 1,428 carried out since 1976. Texas has done the most, killing 593 inmates, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit center. Advertisement Twenty-eight states as well as the U.S. military and U.S. government authorize the use of lethal injection, in which an inmate has a deadly mixture of drugs injected into them as they are strapped to a gurney. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But throughout its use, lethal injection has been plagued by problems, including delays in finding suitable veins, needles becoming clogged or disengaged and problems with securing enough of the required drugs. 'A number of states are beginning to experiment with new methods of execution ... because of the problems with lethal injection,' said John Banzhaf, a professor emeritus of law at George Washington University Law School. Use of electrocution is down since 2000 Nine states authorize the use of electrocution, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1976, 163 electrocutions have been carried out. But only 19 have been done since 2000. In this method, a person is strapped to a chair and has electrodes placed on their head and leg before a jolt of between 500 and 2,000 volts runs through their body. The last electrocution took place in 2020 in Tennessee. Texas used electrocution from 1924 to 1964, killing 361 inmates, according to the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The electric chair Texas used was nicknamed 'Old Sparky.' It is now displayed at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, where the state's death chamber is located. Alabama resumes the use of lethal gas Lethal gas is authorized as the default execution method in eight states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Advertisement From 1979 to 1999, 11 inmates were executed using this method, in which a prisoner would be strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber before it was filled with cyanide gas. In 2024, Alabama revived this method when it became the first state to use nitrogen gas to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith. A mask is placed over a prisoner's face and nitrogen gas is pumped in, depriving the person of oxygen and resulting in death. Alabama's last such execution took place in February. Firing squads are rarely used in the modern era Since 1977, only three inmates have been executed by firing squad and all were in Utah, with the last one in 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states including Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah authorize its use, but it is not the primary execution method. For this method, an inmate is usually bound to a chair and is shot through the heart by a group of prison staffers standing 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) away. Idaho has had firing squad executions on the books as a backup if lethal injection drugs are unavailable since 2023. But in the wake of last year's botched lethal injection attempt on Thomas Eugene Creech, lawmakers are considering a bill to make firing squads the primary execution method. The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Doug Ricks, has suggested Idaho could use a firing squad machine, triggering the guns electronically to eliminate the need for additional execution team members. Hanging was once the primary execution method In the U.S., hanging was the main method of execution until about the 1890s, according to the Advertisement Data collected by researchers of U.S. executions from 1608 to 2002 found 9,322 people were put to death by hanging, in which a person was blindfolded and their hands and legs were secured before a noose was placed around the neck and they fell through a trap door. But in capital punishment's modern era, only three individuals in the U.S. have been executed by hanging in 1993, 1994 and 1996. New Hampshire's remaining death row inmate could be executed by hanging if lethal injection is not available. Associated Press video journalist Cody Jackson in Fort Pierce, Florida, and writer Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- The Independent
Lethal injection, electrocution and now firing squads. A look at US execution methods
South Carolina is preparing this week to execute a man by firing squad, a capital punishment method that hasn't been used in the U.S. in nearly 15 years. Since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on capital punishment in 1976, states have used five different execution methods: lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad and hanging. Brad Sigmon is scheduled to die Friday in South Carolina. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat at their home in 2001. Here's a look at how the U.S. executes people: Most US executions are by lethal injection Lethal injection has been the preferred method in the modern era, with 1,428 carried out since 1976. Texas has done the most, killing 593 inmates, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit center. Twenty-eight states as well as the U.S. military and U.S. government authorize the use of lethal injection, in which an inmate has a deadly mixture of drugs injected into them as they are strapped to a gurney. But throughout its use, lethal injection has been plagued by problems, including delays in finding suitable veins, needles becoming clogged or disengaged and problems with securing enough of the required drugs. 'A number of states are beginning to experiment with new methods of execution ... because of the problems with lethal injection,' said John Banzhaf, a professor emeritus of law at George Washington University Law School. Use of electrocution is down since 2000 Nine states authorize the use of electrocution, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1976, 163 electrocutions have been carried out. But only 19 have been done since 2000. In this method, a person is strapped to a chair and has electrodes placed on their head and leg before a jolt of between 500 and 2,000 volts runs through their body. The last electrocution took place in 2020 in Tennessee. Texas used electrocution from 1924 to 1964, killing 361 inmates, according to the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The electric chair Texas used was nicknamed 'Old Sparky.' It is now displayed at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, where the state's death chamber is located. Alabama resumes the use of lethal gas Lethal gas is authorized as the default execution method in eight states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming. From 1979 to 1999, 11 inmates were executed using this method, in which a prisoner would be strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber before it was filled with cyanide gas. In 2024, Alabama revived this method when it became the first state to use nitrogen gas to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith. A mask is placed over a prisoner's face and nitrogen gas is pumped in, depriving the person of oxygen and resulting in death. Alabama's last such execution took place in February. Firing squads are rarely used in the modern era Since 1977, only three inmates have been executed by firing squad and all were in Utah, with the last one in 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states including Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah authorize its use, but it is not the primary execution method. For this method, an inmate is usually bound to a chair and is shot through the heart by a group of prison staffers standing 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) away. Idaho has had firing squad executions on the books as a backup if lethal injection drugs are unavailable since 2023. But in the wake of last year's botched lethal injection attempt on Thomas Eugene Creech, lawmakers are considering a bill to make firing squads the primary execution method. The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Doug Ricks, has suggested Idaho could use a firing squad machine, triggering the guns electronically to eliminate the need for additional execution team members. Hanging was once the primary execution method In the U.S., hanging was the main method of execution until about the 1890s, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Data collected by researchers of U.S. executions from 1608 to 2002 found 9,322 people were put to death by hanging, in which a person was blindfolded and their hands and legs were secured before a noose was placed around the neck and they fell through a trap door. But in capital punishment's modern era, only three individuals in the U.S. have been executed by hanging in 1993, 1994 and 1996. New Hampshire's remaining death row inmate could be executed by hanging if lethal injection is not available. ___ ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at juanlozano70.
Associated Press
03-03-2025
- Associated Press
Lethal injection, electrocution and now firing squads. A look at US execution methods
HOUSTON (AP) — South Carolina is preparing this week to execute a man by firing squad, a capital punishment method that hasn't been used in the U.S. in nearly 15 years. Since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on capital punishment in 1976, states have used five different execution methods: lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad and hanging. Brad Sigmon is scheduled to die Friday in South Carolina. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat at their home in 2001. Here's a look at how the U.S. executes people: Most US executions are by lethal injection Lethal injection has been the preferred method in the modern era, with 1,428 carried out since 1976. Texas has done the most, killing 593 inmates, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit center. Twenty-eight states as well as the U.S. military and U.S. government authorize the use of lethal injection, in which an inmate has a deadly mixture of drugs injected into them as they are strapped to a gurney. But throughout its use, lethal injection has been plagued by problems, including delays in finding suitable veins, needles becoming clogged or disengaged and problems with securing enough of the required drugs. 'A number of states are beginning to experiment with new methods of execution ... because of the problems with lethal injection,' said John Banzhaf, a professor emeritus of law at George Washington University Law School. Use of electrocution is down since 2000 Nine states authorize the use of electrocution, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1976, 163 electrocutions have been carried out. But only 19 have been done since 2000. In this method, a person is strapped to a chair and has electrodes placed on their head and leg before a jolt of between 500 and 2,000 volts runs through their body. The last electrocution took place in 2020 in Tennessee. Texas used electrocution from 1924 to 1964, killing 361 inmates, according to the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The electric chair Texas used was nicknamed 'Old Sparky.' It is now displayed at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, where the state's death chamber is located. Alabama resumes the use of lethal gas Lethal gas is authorized as the default execution method in eight states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming. From 1979 to 1999, 11 inmates were executed using this method, in which a prisoner would be strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber before it was filled with cyanide gas. In 2024, Alabama revived this method when it became the first state to use nitrogen gas to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith. A mask is placed over a prisoner's face and nitrogen gas is pumped in, depriving the person of oxygen and resulting in death. Alabama's last such execution took place in February. Firing squads are rarely used in the modern era Since 1977, only three inmates have been executed by firing squad and all were in Utah, with the last one in 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states including Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah authorize its use, but it is not the primary execution method. For this method, an inmate is usually bound to a chair and is shot through the heart by a group of prison staffers standing 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) away. Idaho has had firing squad executions on the books as a backup if lethal injection drugs are unavailable since 2023. But in the wake of last year's botched lethal injection attempt on Thomas Eugene Creech, lawmakers are considering a bill to make firing squads the primary execution method. The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Doug Ricks, has suggested Idaho could use a firing squad machine, triggering the guns electronically to eliminate the need for additional execution team members. Hanging was once the primary execution method In the U.S., hanging was the main method of execution until about the 1890s, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Data collected by researchers of U.S. executions from 1608 to 2002 found 9,322 people were put to death by hanging, in which a person was blindfolded and their hands and legs were secured before a noose was placed around the neck and they fell through a trap door. But in capital punishment's modern era, only three individuals in the U.S. have been executed by hanging in 1993, 1994 and 1996. New Hampshire's remaining death row inmate could be executed by hanging if lethal injection is not available. ___ ___
