Published October 20, 2006 07:23 am - Cult murderer Jeffrey Lundgren will not feel any more discomfort from the lethal chemical cocktail injected into his veins than any other inmate sentenced to death, Pittsburgh-based celebrity pathologi ...
Forensic pathologist disputes cult killer's claim
Star Beacon
Cyrl Wecht says Lundgren's medical problems won't cause increased pain
By MARGIE TRAX PAGE
Staff Writer
mtrax@starbeacon.com
Cult murderer Jeffrey Lundgren will not feel any more discomfort from the lethal chemical cocktail injected into his veins than any other inmate sentenced to death, Pittsburgh-based celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht said.
"Without expressing any personal opinion on capital punishment, medically I know of no reason why (Lundgren's) medical problems would cause any increased pain, stress or suffering than anyone else," Wecht said.
Lundgren was granted a temporary reprieve from his scheduled execution Tuesday when a federal judge allowed him to join a lawsuit challenging Ohio's use of lethal injection as a form of capital punishment.
The lawsuit, which originally was filed by the Ohio Public Defenders Office in 2004, challenges the constitutionality of Ohio's lethal injection policy, according to a 2004 press release from the Ohio Public Defenders Office.
Lundgren claims his problems with obesity, diabetes and hypertension put him at a greater risk of experiencing "excruciating pain and suffering" in violation of his Eighth Amendment right to be exempted from cruel and unusual punishment, court documents show.
"If he had a twin that was exactly like him in every respect but did not have those three medical problems, the twin would suffer as much or as little as Mr. Lundgren," Wecht said.
One of the most acclaimed forensic pathologists in the United States, Wecht has performed autopsies in the JonBenet Ramsey, Laci and Conner Peterson and the Waco, Texas, Branch Davidian cases. He recently performed an autopsy on David Smith, the son of model Anna Nicole Smith.
Wecht said incorrect chemical doses and improper administration of the drugs are the cause of any discomfort a doomed inmate may feel.
"It is incompetence that leads to real problems," he said.
The lethal injection potion contains three key chemicals: sodium thiopental, which paralyzes the inmate and causes a state of unconsciousness while the other drugs take effect; pancuronium bromide, which stops muscle movements except those of the heart; and potassium chloride, which stops the heart from beating. Some inmates die from the pancuronium bromide, which can cause the diaphragm to collapse and result in death by asphyxiation, Wecht said.
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