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April 4, 2024

Oklahoma completes execution for double murder committed 20+ years ago

As reported in this AP piece, Michael Dewayne Smith, who was "convicted of shooting and killing two people in Oklahoma City more than two decades ago, was executed Thursday morning." Here is a bit more:

After the first of three lethal drugs, midazolam, was administered, Smith, 41, appeared to shake briefly and attempt to lift his head from the gurney before relaxing. He then took several short, audible breaths that sounded like snores or gasps. Oklahoma DOC Director Steven Harpe said after the execution that Smith “appeared to have some form of sleep apnea.”

A masked doctor entered the execution chamber at 10:14 a.m. and shook Smith several times before declaring him unconscious. Smith appeared to stop breathing about a minute later. The doctor reentered the execution chamber at 10:19 a.m. and checked for a pulse before Harpe announced the time of death.

Smith was sentenced to die in the separate shooting deaths of Janet Moore, 41, and Sharath Pulluru, 22, in February 2002.

He is the first person executed in Oklahoma this year and the 12th put to death since the state resumed executions in 2021 following a nearly seven-year hiatus resulting from problems with executions in 2014 and 2015.

April 4, 2024 at 02:29 PM | Permalink

Comments

Good. One less killer we have to worry about. Glad the victims' families got some justice. Let's set some more dates.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 4, 2024 4:51:17 PM

It must be so weird--you get sentenced to death--sit around for 20 years, and then you go to die. Not saying it's cruel--just must be somewhat surreal.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 4, 2024 5:27:20 PM

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