OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal judge denied a stay of execution request for Oklahoma death row inmate Bigler Stouffer on Tuesday.
Stouffer’s execution date is set for Dec. 9, but his attorneys asked to put things on hold until an upcoming trial in February. The trial challenges whether Oklahoma's execution protocols are constitutional — specifically, the use of Midazolam, which is the first medication used in a three-dose cocktail.
The three-dose medication was used to execute death-row inmate John Marion Grant on October. 2 News Oklahoma's senior reporter Sharon Phillips witnessed that execution. Many witnesses described Grant’s execution as violent. They say Grant convulsed and vomited after Midazolam was administered.
READ MORE: John Grant convulsed, vomited during Oklahoma's first execution since 2015
During Monday's hearing, Stouffer's attorneys called an anesthesiologist, who was also a witness at Grant's execution, to the stand. He said “regurgitating" or “vomiting" is normal and blamed it on a full stomach from his last meal. He also said Grant's body “rocked up-and-down,” instead of using the word “convulsing.”
The anesthesiologist also added that Midazolam would not cause the inmate to be in pain.
Stouffer was convicted of shooting and killing Linda Reeves in 1985. The Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency for Stouffer after expressing concerns over the state's execution procedures.
The Board suggested Gov. Kevin Stitt commute Stouffer's execution to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Stouffer is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 9th.
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