On May 2, 2006, the exe­cu­tion of Joseph Clark in Ohio was delayed 90 min­utes because the exe­cu­tion team was unable to find a suit­able vein to deliv­er the lethal chem­i­cals. After the team tried repeat­ed­ly to find a vein, Clark called out, ​“It’s not work­ing, it’s not work­ing.” The guards closed the cur­tains to block wit­ness­es from view­ing the exe­cu­tion cham­ber. Witnesses then heard Clark moan­ing and groan­ing from behind the cur­tain. The cur­tain lat­er reopened after the exe­cu­tion team man­aged to find a vein in Clark’s left arm and he was put to death. Clark’s exe­cu­tion pro­ceed­ed despite the issuance of a stay based on a lethal injec­tion chal­lenge a few days ear­li­er in anoth­er Ohio case by a fed­er­al court. (The Toledo Blade, May 2, 2006).

Nine inmates have been grant­ed stays of exe­cu­tion this year based at least in part on chal­lenges to lethal injec­tion. See DPIC’s list of exe­cu­tions that were stayed and those car­ried out. See Methods of Executions and Professor Michael Radelet’s list of oth­er Botched Executions.

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