Florida Executes Inmate With Controversial Lethal Injection

Darius Kimbrough – convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a Florida woman in 1991– was executed and pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. EST, roughly 18 minutes after his lethal injection was administered. Kimbrough’s execution was notable because it was the second time the state had used the drug midazolam as a sedative in the first of a three-stage lethal injection procedure.  As Reuters reports, midazolam has come under fire from prisoners, who challenged the use of the drug in a lawsuit. Seven of Florida’s death row inmates sued the state, arguing the drug – typically used as a sedative in minor operations – is not actually an anesthetic. They claimed that in addition to halting the body’s ability to speak or move, midazolam leaves inmates aware of their surroundings and in severe pain as they die........more