First execution under Ohio’s new protocol

Kenneth Biros was executed in the US state of Ohio on 8 December. He was sentenced to death for the murder of Tami Engstrom in 1991.
Kenneth Biros received a single-drug lethal injection shortly after the US Supreme Court denied a request from his lawyers to stay his execution. His lawyers had sought a stay on the grounds that the new untested method had never been used in “any other civilized country” and would amount to an “impermissible human experimentation”.

According to press reports, Kenneth Biros’s last words were: “I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart… Now I’m being paroled to my father in Heaven and get to spend all my holidays with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Peace be with you all."

On 3 December, Ohio’s Governor, Ted Strickland, rejected Kenneth Biros’s clemency petition. His decision concurred with the Ohio Parole Board’s recommendation to deny it.

Kenneth Biros becomes the 51st prisoner to be put to death in the USA this year and the 1,187th since executions resumed in 1977. Ohio accounts for 33 of these executions.

Amnesty International will continue to monitor the cases of others on death row in Ohio and will take further campaigning action as necessary.

NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.
This is the fourth update of UA 253/09 (AMR 51/107/2009). Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/107/2009/en; www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/109/2009/en, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/117/2009/en and http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/119/2009/en.
Further Information on UA: 253/09 Index: AMR 51/X1242009 Issue Date: 09 December 2009