Killer Who Wanted to Donate Liver Executed
 |
James Joyner | Wednesday, May 25, 2005 |
Gregory Scott Johnson, a death row inmate who wanted to donate his liver to his ailing sister before being executed, was put to death with his liver intact, precluding a transplant.
Killer Who Wanted to Donate Liver Executed (AP)
A convicted murderer who sought a reprieve so he could donate part of his liver to his ailing sister was executed early Wednesday. Gregory Scott Johnson died by injection at 12:28 a.m. for beating and stomping an 82-year-old woman to death in 1985, then setting her house on fire to hide the crime. His only words before being executed were: “Everyone has been professional.”
Gov. Mitch Daniels rejected Johnson’s request for a reprieve Tuesday, clearing the way for his death at the Indiana State Prison. The Supreme Court also denied a stay of execution. Daniels said he found “no grounds to second guess years of court rulings or to reject the recommendation of the parole board.” The governor said he accepted the sincerity of Johnson’s motivation in trying to donate part of his liver, but that medical experts had advised against it.
In a handwritten note released after he was executed, Johnson wrote: “There are those who claim that Debbie will have a new liver three weeks after being placed on the list. I’ll be watching from above and expect her to be recuperating at that time.”
Quite bizarre.
For background, see Death Row Inmate Canât Donate Organs â Too Expensive.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg
- None Found
- Health Care Tradeoffs
- DC Statehood Violates Serious Principles
- Caption Contest Winners
- The Political Economy of the U.S. Mortgage Default Crisis
- The Democrats and the Shock Doctrine
- Obama and Europe
- Supreme Court to Decide on Obama Citizenship
- International Implications of the Drop in Oil Prices (Updated)
- Obama’s Bipartisan Cabinet
- More Votes Found - Franken Hurt
"Watching from above," he says.
More like "looking up"
Very few are reporting this info that I found on the Indystar.com
"In their letter, the physicians stated Johnson was an unsuitable donor due to his exposure to hepatitis B, his obesity and unspecified "hereditary factors."
If a donors organ is unsuitable, the doctors are not going to allow the transplant no matter where the potential donor is.
Comments are Closed
