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Death row inmate: I'm too fat to execute







COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A death row inmate scheduled for execution says he's too fat to be put to death, claiming executioners would have trouble finding his veins and that his weight could diminish the effectiveness of one of the lethal injection drugs.

Lawyers for Richard Cooey argue in a federal lawsuit that Cooey -- 5-feet-7 and 267 pounds -- had poor veins when he faced execution five years ago and the problem has been worsened by weight gain.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, also says prison officials have had difficulty drawing blood from Cooey for medical procedures.

Cooey, 41, is sentenced to die for raping and murdering two young women in 1986. His execution is scheduled for October 14.

His attorneys say a drug he is taking for migraine headaches could affect the execution process. The drug Topamax, a type of seizure medication, may have created a resistance to thiopental, the drug used to put inmates to sleep before two other lethal drugs are administered, Dr. Mark Heath, a physician hired by the Ohio Public Defender's Office, said in documents filed with the court.

Heath says Cooey's weight, combined with the potential drug resistance, increases the risk he would not be properly anesthetized.

"All of the experts agree if the first drug doesn't work, the execution is going to be excruciating," Cooey's public defender, Kelly Culshaw Schneider, said Monday.

Prison system spokeswoman Andrea Carson and Jim Gravelle, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General's Office, both said Monday they hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.

Last year, Carson cited the obesity of condemned inmate Christopher Newton as one of the reasons prison officials had difficulty accessing his veins before his execution. Newton was 6 feet tall and weighed 265 pounds.

Two years ago, convicted killer Jeffrey Lundgren was put to death after a federal appeals court rejected his claim that he was at greater risk of experiencing pain and suffering because he was overweight and diabetic.

RedGlitter;941549 wrote: Death row inmate: I'm too fat to execute







COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A death row inmate scheduled for execution says he's too fat to be put to death, claiming executioners would have trouble finding his veins and that his weight could diminish the effectiveness of one of the lethal injection drugs.

Lawyers for Richard Cooey argue in a federal lawsuit that Cooey -- 5-feet-7 and 267 pounds -- had poor veins when he faced execution five years ago and the problem has been worsened by weight gain.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, also says prison officials have had difficulty drawing blood from Cooey for medical procedures.

Cooey, 41, is sentenced to die for raping and murdering two young women in 1986. His execution is scheduled for October 14.

His attorneys say a drug he is taking for migraine headaches could affect the execution process. The drug Topamax, a type of seizure medication, may have created a resistance to thiopental, the drug used to put inmates to sleep before two other lethal drugs are administered, Dr. Mark Heath, a physician hired by the Ohio Public Defender's Office, said in documents filed with the court.

Heath says Cooey's weight, combined with the potential drug resistance, increases the risk he would not be properly anesthetized.

"All of the experts agree if the first drug doesn't work, the execution is going to be excruciating," Cooey's public defender, Kelly Culshaw Schneider, said Monday.

Prison system spokeswoman Andrea Carson and Jim Gravelle, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General's Office, both said Monday they hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.

Last year, Carson cited the obesity of condemned inmate Christopher Newton as one of the reasons prison officials had difficulty accessing his veins before his execution. Newton was 6 feet tall and weighed 265 pounds.

Two years ago, convicted killer Jeffrey Lundgren was put to death after a federal appeals court rejected his claim that he was at greater risk of experiencing pain and suffering because he was overweight and diabetic.


Quite simple - put him on a starvation diet until he's thin enough.

If you're going to do it (different discussion) then don't pansy about - dragging out the appeals like this is unseemly and more of a cruel and unusual punishment than risking the drugs not taking effect quickly enough.

RedGlitter;941549 wrote: Death row inmate: I'm too fat to execute







COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A death row inmate scheduled for execution says he's too fat to be put to death, claiming executioners would have trouble finding his veins and that his weight could diminish the effectiveness of one of the lethal injection drugs.

Lawyers for Richard Cooey argue in a federal lawsuit that Cooey -- 5-feet-7 and 267 pounds -- had poor veins when he faced execution five years ago and the problem has been worsened by weight gain.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, also says prison officials have had difficulty drawing blood from Cooey for medical procedures.

Cooey, 41, is sentenced to die for raping and murdering two young women in 1986. His execution is scheduled for October 14.

His attorneys say a drug he is taking for migraine headaches could affect the execution process. The drug Topamax, a type of seizure medication, may have created a resistance to thiopental, the drug used to put inmates to sleep before two other lethal drugs are administered, Dr. Mark Heath, a physician hired by the Ohio Public Defender's Office, said in documents filed with the court.

Heath says Cooey's weight, combined with the potential drug resistance, increases the risk he would not be properly anesthetized.

"All of the experts agree if the first drug doesn't work, the execution is going to be excruciating," Cooey's public defender, Kelly Culshaw Schneider, said Monday.

Prison system spokeswoman Andrea Carson and Jim Gravelle, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General's Office, both said Monday they hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.

Last year, Carson cited the obesity of condemned inmate Christopher Newton as one of the reasons prison officials had difficulty accessing his veins before his execution. Newton was 6 feet tall and weighed 265 pounds.

Two years ago, convicted killer Jeffrey Lundgren was put to death after a federal appeals court rejected his claim that he was at greater risk of experiencing pain and suffering because he was overweight and diabetic.


Who gives a s**t if it hurts???

This ba$tard inflicted excruciating pain, torture & horror on his victims before ending their lives! He should have to deal with a little of what he dealt out!

Also - he's costing the US taxpayer a fortune by being in jail - and a further fortune on his medical treatment - treatment many honest and upright US citizens can't afford for themselves!!

If he's too fat for lethal injection - use the gas chamber!

Arrgggghhhhhhhh! Stories like this make me furious! :-5

Bizarre. I am against the death penalty in general. But in this case based on American law, why not just shoot him, like that fella in the 1970s who got shot by firing squad? Maybe the fat will deflect the bullet, but its unlikely. I mean if your going to execute someone, I am not sure that splitting hairs about whether it will hurt them is particulartly important, unless you think like a lawyer, which is why they should definetly bring in the death sentence for lawyers, preferable by crucifixtion.

Hi Rapunzel! Its good to see you around. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anyone with this article. I agree with you as well. He's not too fat for a few shells.

RedGlitter;941606 wrote: Hi Rapunzel! Its good to see you around. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anyone with this article. I agree with you as well. He's not too fat for a few shells.


Hiya Hunny, lovely to see you. You didn't upset me at all and neither did your article. I just get infuriated when people in prison who have raped and murdered get health care and other benefits which law-abiding citizens may not be able to afford. I remember Weeder saying she couldn't afford medical and dental care yet scumbags like this get it for nothing!

I also agree with Galbally - the lawyers make a fortune by splitting hairs! Why don't they set up simple common sense guidelines (something every country needs IMO!) about things like this. If he cannot die by lethal injection then they have a firing squad, the gas chamber and the electric chair to choose from. They could also garotte him, hang him or even dig up a guilotine!

Like Galbally, I don't really agree with the death penalty but I believe the US has a very fair system as inmates spend about 10 years on death row before sentence is carried out. While I'm not really for the death penalty, I do find I'm split in my opinions as I feel some people surely deserve it, the Moors murderers, the Yorkshire Ripper and Fred and Rose West being the first to come to mind. I also feel that some people are eventually released when I don't believe they should be, for example, Jill Dando's murderer and many of the IRA terrorists. They're all out, back in the community and usually claiming massive compensation handouts. It's a joke! At least if they'd faced the death penalty they would be receiving true justice and not costing the taxpayer millions in storage fees and later in compensation payouts!

Whew! Sorry, rant over. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I hear fat conducts electricity really well.

A bullet in the head

Then they're dead.

Quick and cheap

And we're rid of the creep.

Well then shoot the scum. One bullet to the head should take him out. Won't matter if he weights 800 pounds. :-5

CARLA;941799 wrote: Well then shoot the scum. One bullet to the head should take him out. Won't matter if he weights 800 pounds. :-5
We could let the army medics use him instead of the 4-legged pigs. :yh_idea

Accountable;941802 wrote: We could let the army medics use him instead of the 4-legged pigs. :yh_idea




I might be okay with that.

he wasn't too fat to rape and murder people.

i have a lot of reservations about the death penalty, but if theyre gonna use it, why on earth wait for 22 years after the crime?????

I dont care how fat he is

JUST SHOOT THE S.O.B.

Must be some good food on death row. What do they feed him? All the mashed potatos and gravy he can eat?

Where does he get the money to by all the cheese doodles from the snack wagon?

Hell, I thought people lost weight when they went to prison.

If this passes, we'll have a bunch of piggys on death row trying to get out of executions. Give it to him in liquid form and when he's out, jab it in his neck and be done with it.