Ohio Postpones Two Executions

Ohio postponed two executions on Monday—with one delay issued by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and another by a federal appeals court—as a result of the failed execution of inmate Romell Broom on Sept 15. Broom, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a teenage girl in 1984, waited two hours while prison technicians unsuccessfully attempted to inject him with lethal intravenous drugs. Broom is the third Ohio inmate with a “troubled execution” since 2006, reports The New York Times. The postponed executions are for Lawrence R. Reynolds, 43, who was convicted for murdering a woman in 1994, and Darryl Durr, who was convicted for the kidnap, rape and murder of a 16-year old girl in 1988; their executions have been rescheduled for the spring of 2010 so that changes to the lethal injection procedure can be made and backup procedures established. A hearing to determine Broom’s fate will be held on Nov. 30.