Publications & Testimony

On May 1, Jeffrey Hutchinson, a Gulf War veteran, was executed in Florida for the murders of his girlfriend and her three young children. As he fought behind enemy lines in some of the most dangerous regions on earth, bombs rattled and nerve gas corroded his brain, causing permanent damage that would contribute to the tragedy just a few years later. “His mind was a casualty, just like any limb lost in combat,” a group of 129 military veterans wrote in a letter urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt…

Benjamin Ritchie’s execution in Indiana on May 20, 2025, has raised new concerns about the use of pentobarbital after defense counsel reported their client displayed an unusual physical reaction after being injected with the drug. But because Indiana officials bar media witnesses from observing executions, the public has no independent witness reports on what transpired. Steve Schutte, an attorney for Mr. Ritchie, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that Mr. Ritchie made what appeared to be…

In this month’s podcast episode of 12:01 The Death Penalty in Context, DPI’s Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with Corinna Barrett Lain, the S.D. Roberts & Sandra Moore Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law and author of the recently published book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. Ms. Lain’s new book challenges a widely held assumption that lethal injection is a painless, regulated, and medically-sound process. Drawing on…

On May 15, 2025, the Utah Supreme Court unanimously upheld a lower court’s decision vacating Douglas Carter’s (pictured) conviction and death sentence and ordering a new trial. The Court found that Utah County prosecutors violated Mr. Carter’s constitutional rights on multiple occasions with their “intentional misconduct” during his 1985 trial that accused him of causing the death of Eva Olesen during a home invasion. In November 2023, Utah County District Court Judge Derek P. Pullan ordered a…

The Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) has admitted to spending $200,000 on lethal injection execution drugs since 2023, all of which have since expired without use. Josh Tewalt, the former director of IDOC said in recent court filings that the drugs in IDOC’s possession expired because of repeated delays associated with scheduling an execution. Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic, an IDOC spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman that the department does not currently have lethal injection drugs in its…

On May 8, 2025, a group of family members who have lost loved ones to violence in Tennessee delivered a letter to Governor Bill Lee’s office requesting that he halt the state’s upcoming scheduled executions. In their letter, the group of 51 “victims, survivors, and family members of those impacted by violent crime” argue the death penalty does not act as a healing tool for victims and takes away from state-funded resources that could help with their healing. For these individuals, “access to…

On May 8, 2025, Mikal Deen Mahdi’s lawyers submitted to the South Carolina Supreme Court the state pathology report in his case which suggests that Mr. Mahdi’s execution last month by firing squad did not go as planned. Pathologists reported that not only did Mr. Mahdi have two wounds as opposed to the anticipated three wounds from three South Carolina Corrections Department (SCDC) shooters, but also that they missed the intended target over his heart, prolonging his death. Mr. Mahdi was the…

According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), there have been at least 343 executions in Iran in the first four months of 2025 — a 75% increase over the same period in 2024, when 195 executions were recorded. Secrecy remains an issue with less than 4%, or only 13 of the 343 executions, reported by official sources. In April alone, there were at least 110 executions, the highest monthly total yet this year. Trends identified in recent years appear to be sustained into 2025, with executions…