St. Louis Public Radio posts, "How Missouri Got Ahold Of Its Backup Execution Drug," by Chris McDaniel. There are documents at the link.
When Missouri's execution drug supplier backed out after facing a lawsuit, the state found another pharmacy willing to sell it pentobarbital. But if that proved impossible, Missouri also had another option: It could use its controversial backup drug, midazolam.
Midazolam is a drug used to treat insomnia. It's the drug Ohio used in a recent execution that took more than 20 minutes, with witnesses reporting that the inmate gasped and snorted during that time.
In a sworn deposition in January, David Dormire, director of adult institutions, said Missouri didn't have midazolam. Later in the questioning, though, he changed his mind.
"I was reminded we had purchased that as a backup," Dormire said.
Earlier coverage of Missouri lethal injection issues begins at the link.
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