Stays and Executions in 2015

Date of Scheduled ExecutionStateInmateOutcome
January

7

OH

Warren Henness

Stay granted as a result of court order blocking all Ohio executions until January 15, 2015. New Date Set.

8

PA

Christopher Roney

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on December 5, 2014 to permit Roney to pursue habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of federal law

13

PA

Mark Edwards

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas on December 10, 2014 to permit Edwards to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.

13

GA

Andrew Brannan

Executed

14

TX

Rodney Reed

Stayed to allow time for appeals regarding DNA testing. Judge denied a motion to introduce new DNA testing into the case. New date set.

15

PA

Dennis Reed

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas on November 24, 2014 to permit Reed to pursue post-conviction available to all defendants as a matter of state law.

15

TX

Richard Vasquez

Stayed due to a request for a delay from the prosecution.

15

FL

John Kormondy

Executed

15

OK

Charles Warner

Executed in violation of Oklahoma law when state’s anonymous drug supplier provided Oklahoma Department of Corrections with wrong execution drug. Error not noticed until autopsy results disclosed in response to media freedom of information act litigation.

21

TX

Arnold Prieto

Executed

27

GA

Warren Hill

Executed

28

MO

Marcellus Williams

Stayed to allow the Missouri State Supreme Court to consider a request for DNA testing that might show innocence.

28

TX

Garcia White

Stayed to allow time for the court to consider several factors pertaining to the case.

29

OK

Richard Glossip

Stayed to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocols.

29

TX

Robert Ladd

Executed

February

4

TX

Donald Newbury

Executed

10

TN

Stephen West

Stayed to allow time for appeals regarding Tennessee’s execution methods.

10

TX

Lester Bower

Stayed to allow the court to allow time to consider a petition.

11

OH

William Montgomery

Stay granted as a result of court order blocking all Ohio executions until January 15, 2015. New Date Set

11

OH

Ronald Phillips

Rescheduled to allow time for the state to obtain new drugs.

11

MO

Walter Storey

Executed

19

AL

Tommy Arthur

Initially stayed to allow time for the district court to conduct fact-finding and gather evidence regarding Arthur’s claims that Alabama’s lethal injection protocol violates his 8th amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The stay was then lifted on 2/12 by the 11th Circuit, but the federal district court granted a second stay on 2/17 saying that Arthur had met his burden for further appeals.

19

OK

John Grant

Stayed to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocols.

25

GA

Kelly Gissendaner

Stayed temporarily and rescheduled to 3/2/15 due to weather.

26

FL

Jerry Correll

Stayed to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocols. (Florida uses the same lethal injection protocol as Oklahoma.)

March

2

GA

Kelly Gissendaner

Stayed due to problems with the lethal injection drug. Later executed on 9/30/15.

4

PA

Terrance Williams

Reprieve issued on February 13, 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf pending completion of report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment and adoption of legislative reforms to Pennsylvania’s death penalty.#

5

OK

Benjamin Cole

Stayed to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocols.

5

PA

Kenneth Hairston

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on February 9, 2015 to permit Hairston to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.#

5

TX

Rodney Reed

Stay granted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to consider newly discovered evidence.

10

GA

Brian Terrell

Stayed pending an investigation into problems with Georgia’s lethal injection drugs.

10

PA

Alfonso Sanchez

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas on February 3, 2015 to permit Sanchez to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.#

11

PA

Robert Diamond

Legally premature death warrant. Reprieve issued on March 5, 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf pending completion of report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment and adoption of legislative reforms to Pennsylvania’s death penalty.#

11

TX

Manuel Vasquez

Executed

12

OH

Robert Van Hook

Stay granted as a result of court order blocking all Ohio executions until January 15, 2015. New Date Set.

12

OH

Raymond Tibbetts

Rescheduled as a result of all 2015 Ohio executions being postponed until 2016 to allow the state more time to obtain new drugs. New Date Set.

12

PA

Kevin Mattison

Legally premature death warrant. Stayed by the York County Court of Common Pleas on March 12, 2015 to permit Mattison to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.#

17

MO

Cecil Clayton

Executed

18

TX

Randall Mays

Stayed to review issues surrounding the mental health of the inmate.

19

AL

Bill Kuenzel

Stay granted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending further orders of the court to allow more time for appeals.

24

TN

Donnie Johnson

Stayed to allow more time for appeals regarding the state’s execution method.

April

9

TX

Kent Sprouse

Executed

14

MO

Andre Cole

Stay granted by U.S. District Ct. because of concerns about mental competency. Stay overturned by Cir. Ct. Executed as scheduled on April 14.

15

TX

Manuel Garza

Executed

17

PA

Lance Arrington

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 24, 2015 to permit Arrington to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state and federal law.#

17

PA

Albert Perez

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 31, 2015 to permit Perez to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state and federal law.#

23

TX

Richard Vasquez

Stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to consider new appellate issues.

28

TX

Robert Pruett

Stayed by trial court to possibly allow DNA testing.

May

3

SD

Rodney Berget

Stayed to allow more time for appeal.

8

PA

Anthony Reid

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 26, 2015 to permit Reid to pursue habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of federal law. Reid has two death-penalty cases. This warrant was issued in his first Philadelphia death sentence.#

8

PA

Anthony Reid

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 26, 2015 to permit Reid to pursue habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of federal law. Reid has two death-penalty cases. This warrant was issued in his second Philadelphia death sentence.#

12

TN

Olen E. Hutchison

Died on death row, October 19, 2014

12

MO

Kimber Edwards

No reason given for stay.

12

TX

Derrick Charles

Executed

14

OH

Gregory Lott

Rescheduled as a result of all 2015 Ohio executions being postponed until 2016 to allow the state more time to obtain new drugs. New Date Set.

June

3

TX

Lester Bower

Executed

5

PA

Hubert Michael

Reprieve issued on June 3, 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf pending completion of report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment and adoption of legislative reforms to Pennsylvania’s death penalty.#

9

MO

Richard Strong

Executed

17

TX

Gregory Russeau

Executed

18

AL

Robin Myers

Stayed to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide on a case challenging lethal injection protocols.

23

TN

Charles Wright

Stayed to allow more time for appeals regarding the state’s execution method.

July

14

MO

David Zink

Executed

15

OH

William Henness

Rescheduled as a result of all 2015 Ohio executions being postponed until 2016 to allow the state more time to obtain new drugs. New Date Set.

16

TX

Clifton Williams

Stayed by the Texas Ct. of Criminal Appeals after attorneys pointed to possible errors in FBI testimony about DNA from the case.

August

11

PA

Jakeem Towles

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas on July 7, 2015 to permit Towles to pursue state post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.#

12

TX

Daniel Lopez

Executed (volunteer)

13

TX

Tracy Beatty

Stayed by the Texas Ct. of Criminal Appeals after attorneys pointed to earlier ineffective representation.

18

TN

David Miller

Stayed pending the outcome of legal challenges to both of the state’s execution methods.

26

TX

Bernardo Tercero

Stayed by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to allow time for further appeals.

27

PA

Maurice Patterson

Legally premature death wearrant. Stay granted by the Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas to permit Patterson to pursue post-conviction appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state law.#

28

PA

Hector Morales

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on August 12, 2015 to permit Morales to pursue post-conviction and habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of state and federal law.#

September

1

MO

Roderick Nunley

Executed

2

TX

Joe Garza

Stayed by trial court judge to allow for DNA testing.

3

PA

Herbert Blakeney

Legally premature death warrant. Stayed by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on July 21, 2015 to permit Blakeney to pursue habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of federal law.#

16

OK

Richard Glossip

Stayed to allow time for the court to review materials submitted by the defense.

17

OH

William Montgomery

Rescheduled as a result of all 2015 Ohio executions being postponed until 2016 to allow the state more time to obtain new drugs. New Date Set.

18

PA

Rasheed Simpson

Legally premature death warrant. Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on August 20, 2015 to permit Simpson to pursue habeas corpus appeals available to all defendants as a matter of federal law.#

29

TX

Perry Williams

Stayed to allow a federal judge time to appoint an appellate lawyer in the case.

30

OK

Richard Glossip

Reprieve: stayed by the governor until Nov. 6 due to mixup in execution drugs

30

GA

Kelly Gissendaner

Executed

October

1

VA

Alfredo Prieto

Executed

5

TN

Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman

Stayed pending the outcome of legal challenges to both of the state’s execution methods.

7

OK

Benjamin Cole

Stayed pending review of OK lethal injection procedures.†

7

TX

Juan Garcia

Executed

14

TX

Licho Escamilla

Executed

19

PA

Michael Ballard

Legally premature death warrant. Reprieve issued on October 7, 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf pending completion of report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment and adoption of legislative reforms to Pennsylvania’s death penalty.#

21

AR

Bruce Earl Ward

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

21

AR

Dan William Davis

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

28

OK

John Grant

Stayed pending review of OK lethal injection procedures.†

28

TX

Christopher Wilkins

Stayed at the request of the prosocution because the Texas Forensic Science Commission “is in the process of addressing emerging issues involving the calculation of DNA population statistics and DNA mixture interpretation.”

29

FL

Jerry Correll

Executed

November

3

AR

Terrick Terrell Nooner

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

3

AR

Stacey Eugene Johnson

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

3

TX

Julius Murphy

Stayed by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to allow time for further appeals.

3

MO

Ernest Lee Johnson

Stayed by U.S. Supreme Court pending review of claim that Missouri lethal injection procedures unconstitutional as applied to a person with Johnson’s particular medical condition

6

OK

Richard Glossip

Stayed pending review of OK lethal injection procedures.†

17

OH

Robert Van Hook

Rescheduled as a result of all 2015 Ohio executions being postponed until 2016 to allow the state more time to obtain new drugs. New Date Set.

17

TN

Nicholas Sutton

Stayed pending the outcome of legal challenges to both of the state’s execution methods.

18

TX

Raphael Holiday

Stayed (subject to appeal) to give Holiday opportunity to seek clemency. Stay lifted on appeal. Executed as originally scheduled.

19

GA

Marcus Johnson

Executed

December

9

GA

Brian Keith Terrell

Executed after midnight on 12/9 after nurse took more than 1 hr. to find vein for IV. Execution had been scheduled for 12/8.

14

AR

Marcel Wayne Williams

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

14

AR

Jack Harold Jones Jr

Temporary restraining order granted staying execution so already pending judicial review of AR lethal injection procedures could take place.~

18

PA

Antayne Robinson

Reprieve issued on June 3, 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf pending completion of report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment and adoption of legislative reforms to Pennsylvania’s death penalty.#

^On January 30, 2015, the Ohio State Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections announced that it would postpone all of the six executions scheduled in 2015 to that point. All of these executions would be scheduled in 2016 to allow time for the state to obtain new drugs for lethal injections. The new drugs that Ohio announced it would be trying to obtain were sodium thiopental and pentobarbital.

#On February 13, 2015, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf issued a memorandum announcing a moratorium on all executiions in the state. The memo stated that no executions will take place at least until he has “received and reviewed the forthcoming report of the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment.”

~ On October 8, the Arkansas Circuit Court granted a temporary restraining order staying all eight scheduled executions so that already pending judicial review of the state’s execution procedures could take place.

^^ On October 19, 2015 the Ohio Department of Corrections issued a statement that Gov. Kasich granted reprieves postponing all executions that the state had scheduled in 2016. Ohio has been unable to obtain the execution drugs required to conduct executions under state law. All execution dates have been rescheduled by the state.

“Volunteer” refers to inmates who have voluntarily waived their normal appeals (not necessarily that they have volunteered for execution).