Russell Bucklew
Russell Bucklew was put to death by lethal injection of pentobarbital at a state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri, on October 1, 2019. His lawyer, Jeremy Weis, said he had shown remorse over the previous 23 years and was worthy of mercy, and the ACLU described him as a model prisoner during that time. His lawyers argued that a rare condition, a cavernous hemangioma causing blood-filled tumors in his head, neck and throat, could make the execution painful and leave him choking on his own blood. The U.S. Supreme Court had twice halted earlier attempts before clearing the execution in April 2019, and rights groups, Catholic bishops in Missouri and the ACLU urged Governor Mike Parson to grant clemency, which he declined despite a petition signed by roughly 70,000 people. Concerns were also raised about the state's secret source of its execution drug.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. His lawyers argued that his rare condition, which caused blood-filled tumors in his head, neck and throat, could make the lethal injection painful, and the ACLU said the execution risked torture.
Reported by: State of Missouri (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.