Charles Warner
Charles Warner was put to death by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on January 15, 2015, the first execution in Oklahoma in nine months. His former girlfriend, Shonda Waller, said she had forgiven him and believed executing him would be a dishonor. Witnesses and an Associated Press reporter described him saying his body was on fire, and some saw a slight twitching in his neck. Oklahoma officials said new equipment, training and a changed drug protocol would make the process go smoothly, while his attorney and campaigners questioned the use of midazolam and whether it could keep him unconscious. Justice Sotomayor dissented, citing concerns about whether midazolam can be used constitutionally in the three-drug protocol.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. Warner's lawyer and campaigners questioned whether the midazolam used in the lethal injection could keep him unconscious, and Justice Sotomayor dissented over whether midazolam can be used constitutionally in the three-drug protocol.
Reported by: Oklahoma State Penitentiary witnesses and an Associated Press reporter (witnesses); Oklahoma officials (the agency that held him); Warner's attorney (family or their lawyers); Justice Sotomayor (U.S. Supreme Court dissent) (court).
Sources (4)
- Oklahoma executes first inmate since botched lethal injection
- ‘My body is on fire’: Convicted baby killer twitches in Oklahoma’s first lethal injection since a botched execution in April
- Charles Warner execution: Oklahoma inmate's last words are 'my body is
- Death row dinners: A look into the last meals of Oklahoma's executed inmates