A Texas man, Jamaal Howard, 46, is scheduled for execution Wednesday for the 2000 murder of convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout. His legal team has requested a 30-day delay from Gov. Greg Abbott, citing concerns over the use of pentobarbital.
This follows a botched lethal injection in Tennessee involving Christa Pike, where the drug failed to properly administer. Howard's lawyers argue the state has refused to disclose details about the drug's history and storage, stating he should not be executed with a drug whose transparency the state has blocked. As of Tuesday, Pike remained conscious in a Nashville hospital after surviving two doses.
Lawyers have also filed pending petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing Howard has an intellectual disability. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not shared drug details with Howard's legal team, instead deferring to the Texas attorney general on disclosure. The execution highlights ongoing national scrutiny of lethal injection protocols following recent failures.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing