Ohio governor delays execution of 3 inmates citing drug supply issues

COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine postponed the execution of three Ohioans citing ongoing issues with pharmaceutical drug suppliers.

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DeWine issued three reprieves that postponed the execution of three male inmates to 2026. The three men were scheduled to be executed this year starting Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

James O’Neal was scheduled to be executed August 16, 2023, the soonest of the three men. However, due to the ongoing issues, his execution was moved to the new date of August 19, 2026, about three years from the original date. He faced the death sentence for killing his wife in 1995.

Jerome Henderson was to be the second person with an execution date of September 14, 2023. However, his death was moved to October 21, 2026, three years and a month from the original date. He faced the death sentence after being convicted of aggravated murder, burglary, and attempted rape of Mary Acoff in Cincinnati in 1985.

Finally, Melvin Bonnell was the third person to be executed on October 18, 2023. However, his date was pushed back to November 18, 2026, three years and a month from the original date. He faced the death sentence for killing Robert Bunner in a Cleveland apartment in 1987.

DeWine delayed the three men’s executions because of the strict set of laws in place both at the federal and state levels. The constitutional amendment that prevented cruel and unusual punishments led to Ohio’s lethal injection program that aimed to execute people without causing undue suffering or pain.

Ohio’s lethal injection program utilized specialized drugs to bring a person to death; however, DeWine noted that issues with pharmaceutical suppliers prevented the death sentence to be carried out on time. As a result, the three men were scheduled for 2026.

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