Chronology of A Failed Execution

The par­tial time­line below of the attempt­ed exe­cu­tion of Romell Broom in Ohio on Sept. 15 was com­piled by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sept. 17, 2009; reporter Peter Krouse. The entire time­line can found by click­ing here.

Tuesday

• 5:08 a.m.: Broom awak­ens for the day.
• 5:51 a.m.: Broom is escort­ed to the shower.
• 6:27 a.m.: Broom eats break­fast of cereal.
• 8:07 a.m.: The chem­i­cals used in Ohio exe­cu­tions — thiopen­tal sodi­um, pan­curo­ni­um bro­mide and potas­si­um chlo­ride — are deliv­ered to the death house.
• 9:31 a.m.: Execution prepa­ra­tions put on hold while the 6^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs a last-minute appeal request.
• 12:28 p.m.: Broom eats a lunch of creamed chick­en, bis­cuits, green beans, mashed pota­toes, sal­ad and grape drink.
• 12:48 p.m.: The 6^th Circuit says it will not review the appeal. Execution sched­uled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
• 1:24 p.m.: First round of lethal drugs is destroyed.
• 1:31 p.m.: Replacement drugs are deliv­ered to the death house.
• 2:01 p.m.: Medical team enters hold­ing cell and begins try­ing to insert IVs.
• 2:30 p.m.: Unable to find a usable vein, team leaves the cell to take a break.
• 2:42 p.m.: Team mem­bers back in cell trying again.
• 2:44 p.m.: Prisons direc­tor Terry Collins tells the med­ical team to take another break.
• 2:49 p.m.: Broom wipes his face with a tis­sue, appears to be crying.
• 2:57 p.m.: Broom asks that his attor­ney, Adele Shank, be allowed to watch. Around 3 p.m.: Tim Sweeney, a Cleveland attor­ney also rep­re­sent­ing Broom, sends a let­ter to Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ask­ing the court to stop the exe­cu­tion on the grounds that Broom is suf­fer­ing cru­el and unusual punishment.

Timeline for failed execution (complete version)

Some events lead­ing to Gov. Ted Strickland’s deci­sion to stop the Tuesday exe­cu­tion of Romell Broom because of dif­fi­cul­ties find­ing a usable vein:

Monday

• 9:46 a.m.: Broom enters the hold­ing cell 17 steps from the death cham­ber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville after being trans­port­ed from the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown.
• 11:49 a.m.: Medical staff find that Broom’s veins appear to be acces­si­ble in his right arm but not as vis­i­ble in his left.
• 12:17 p.m.: Broom learns that Gov. Ted Strickland has reject­ed a request for mercy.
• 4:01 p.m.: Broom eats a din­ner of chick­en stir fry, rice, but­ter, bread, pears and juice. Broom declined to order any­thing besides what oth­er prison inmates were served.
• 7:12 p.m.: In a phone call to his broth­er, Broom says he ​“wants it to be over.” According to guards observ­ing him, Broom says he is ​“tired of being in prison and hav­ing peo­ple tell him what to do every day.”

Tuesday

• 12:24 a.m.: Broom falls asleep after watch­ing TV for about two hours.
• 5:08 a.m.: Broom awak­ens for the day.
• 5:51 a.m.: Broom is escort­ed to the shower.
• 6:27 a.m.: Broom eats break­fast of cereal.
• 8:07 a.m.: The chem­i­cals used in Ohio exe­cu­tions — thiopen­tal sodi­um, pan­curo­ni­um bro­mide and potas­si­um chlo­ride — are deliv­ered to the death house.
• 9:31 a.m.: Execution prepa­ra­tions put on hold while the 6^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs a last-minute appeal request.
• 12:28 p.m.: Broom eats a lunch of creamed chick­en, bis­cuits, green beans, mashed pota­toes, sal­ad and grape drink.
• 12:48 p.m.: The 6^th Circuit says it will not review the appeal. Execution sched­uled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
• 1:24 p.m.: First round of lethal drugs is destroyed.
• 1:31 p.m.: Replacement drugs are deliv­ered to the death house.
• 2:01 p.m.: Medical team enters hold­ing cell and begins try­ing to insert IVs.
• 2:30 p.m.: Unable to find a usable vein, team leaves the cell to take a break.
• 2:42 p.m.: Team mem­bers back in cell trying again.
• 2:44 p.m.: Prisons direc­tor Terry Collins tells the med­ical team to take another break.
• 2:49 p.m.: Broom wipes his face with a tis­sue, appears to be crying.
• 2:57 p.m.: Broom asks that his attor­ney, Adele Shank, be allowed to watch. Around 3 p.m.: Tim Sweeney, a Cleveland attor­ney also rep­re­sent­ing Broom, sends a let­ter to Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ask­ing the court to stop the exe­cu­tion on the grounds that Broom is suf­fer­ing cru­el and unusual punishment.
• 3:04 p.m.: Shank speaks with pris­ons lawyer Austin Stout, who informs her exe­cu­tion pol­i­cy does­n’t allow lawyers to have con­tact with inmates after the exe­cu­tion process has started.
• 3:11 p.m.: Execution team mem­bers say they are hav­ing prob­lems keep­ing a vein open because of Broom’s past drug use.
• 3:33 p.m.: Shank is tak­en to the wit­ness viewing area.
• 4:07 p.m.: Collins con­sults with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio attor­ney general’s office.
• 4:24 p.m.: Strickland issues one-week reprieve.
• 5:59 p.m.: Broom eats a din­ner of veg­gie nuggets, lima beans, bread, cook­ies and juice.