Botched Ohio execution may spur changes

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A move by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to delay the executions of several death row inmates could influence U.S. death penalty procedures, experts say.

Strickland, a Democrat, has delayed three executions and has ordered a review of the state's lethal injection procedures after officials worked unsuccessfully for hours to find a suitable vein to use to execute death row inmate Romell Broom last month, The Washington Post reported Monday.

"Everything's on the table at this point," Julie Walburn, a spokeswoman for the Ohio corrections department, told the newspaper, adding that the state is virtually certain to change its protocols to deal with cases like Broom's, including analyzing the effectiveness of the currently used lethal three-drug combination.

"Other states will be watching," added Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. "Waiting an hour or two hours for this to end, that just doesn't seem right."

He told the Post that several states, including Maryland, are working on modifying their lethal injection protocols.