An Alabama killer endured three long hours of pain in the “longest execution,” according to a human rights group that funded an independent autopsy.
Though the killer’s victim’s family pleaded he not be executed, it didn’t stop the state of Alabama. Joe Nathan James Jr., 50, was supposed to be executed on July 28 at 6 p.m., but his lethal injection wasn’t until 9:04 p.m., and he wasn’t pronounced dead until 9:27 p.m.
Though a corrections officer insisted no funny business went on, an autopsy revealed James endured much suffering leading to his death.
The Atlantic believes that “something terrible had been done” to James while he was strapped to a gurney behind closed doors” after reviewing the independent autopsy.
The inmate’s wrists and hands had needle injections all over. Alarming photos show the IV team didn’t have any clue what they were doing when it came to executing the inmate.
The human rights nonprofit Reprieve said, “Alabama’s execution of Joe Nathan James Jr. took longer than any lethal injection in recorded US history, and may even be the longest execution ever using any method.”
“Subjecting someone to 3 hours of pain and suffering is the definition of cruel & unusual punishment.” The autopsy suggests the prosecution started hours before media witnesses came on site, which is troublesome.
The New York Post reports,” ‘The autopsy suggested that the “execution began hours before media witnesses were allowed into the execution chamber,’ when they were ‘locked in a prison van without their phones’ — and when one female reporter even had to change into a longer skirt.”
The nonprofit group alleges James underwent two executions, one behind doors and another performed in front of the media.
