Obese inmate spared from execution
2012-12-18 14:45
-
Us
An old fashioned story by Mary Louisa Molesworth (1836-1921). The author of beloved children's...
Now R150.00
buy now
Washington - An obese death row inmate was spared from
execution Monday by Ohio's governor, who said the prisoner had not received an
adequate legal defence.
Ronald Post, 53, weighs more than 220kg. His lawyers had
filed a motion arguing that lethal injection would be "torturous and
lingering" due to his weight - the injection might not kill him, they
argued, or could take up to 16 hours to take effect.
Post was convicted of murdering a hotel clerk during an
armed robbery.
However, Ohio Governor John Kasich did not mention weight
when he announced that Post would not be executed as scheduled on 16 January.
"Regardless of the heinous nature of their crime, a
criminal defendant is entitled to an effective defence, especially in a death
penalty case," Kasich said in a statement.
"The Parole Board's conclusion is that Ronald Post did
not come close to receiving such a defence. After my own careful review, I
agree."
Kasich, however, did not pardon Post or call for a retrial.
"Therefore, I am ordering that he spend the rest of his
life in prison with no possibility of ever getting out. This decision should
not be viewed by anyone as diminishing this awful crime or the pain it has
caused," Kasich said.
- SAPA
