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July 19, 2012

Texas Conducts 1st Single-Drug Execution 
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Texas has carried out its first execution using a single lethal drug
instead of three. Thirty-three year-old Yokamon Hearn was killed
Wednesday with a dose of the sedative pentobarbital, despite concerns
from death penalty opponents that it takes prisoners longer to die with
the single-drug method. Hearn was also killed despite claims by his
lawyers he had mental impairments due to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He was
pronounced dead 25 minutes after the injection began. At least four
other states including, Ohio, Arizona, Idaho and Washington, also use a
single drug for executions. Earlier this week, Georgia postponed the
execution of another deathrow inmate as it also prepares to execute
prisoners using a single drug.

 

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