Texas is scheduled to carry out its first execution on Wednesday since the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. Jamaal Howard, a Texas man on death row for capital murder, is seeking to halt his execution, citing similar risks as those faced by Pike.
Background on Jamaal Howard
Jamaal Howard, 46, was convicted of capital murder in 2001 for robbing a convenience store in Silsbee, Texas, and fatally shooting Vickie Swartout, a 42-year-old clerk. Howard's legal team argues that he was intellectually disabled at the time of the crime, making him ineligible for the death penalty, as ruled by the Supreme Court in 2002.
Concerns Over Execution Method
Pike's execution involved two doses of the barbiturate pentobarbital, the same sedative Texas officials plan to use for Howard. During her execution, Pike reported that her arms felt like they were going to explode. She regained consciousness on Tuesday and is currently suffering from pneumonia, unable to move her arms. This incident marks the second botched execution in Tennessee this year, prompting Governor Bill Lee to suspend all lethal injections for the remainder of the year and initiate an investigation into the failed execution.
