'Tortured to Death': Oklahoma Under Fire for Horrific Execution

Despite repeated warnings and protest, the state of Oklahoma went ahead with its controversial use of untested lethal injection drugs on Tuesday night that resulted in the “horrific” death of convicted killer Clayton Lockett who “writhed” in pain, “clenched his teeth” and later died from a massive heart attack brougt on by the state-administered drugs.

After seeing the drugs were not working as intended, the prison officials “halted” the execution but it was too late for Lockett.

“It was a horrible thing to witness. This was totally botched,” said Lockett’s attorney, David Autry.

Due to the incident, the subsequent execution of Charles Warner, scheduled to receive the same dose of lethal drugs just two hours after Lockett, was postponed. Warner’s lawyer, Madeline Cohen, condemned state prison and government officials for the ordeal and said the horrific episode of Lockett’s execution amounted to torture by the state of Oklahoma.

“After weeks of Oklahoma refusing to disclose basic information about the drugs for tonight’s lethal injection procedures, tonight Clayton Lockett was tortured to death,” she said.

Opponents of the death penalty say the recent controversy over the drugs that states are choosing to use in their executions has revealed the deep cruelty inherent in all state-sanctioned murder.