Ronald Post – who previously made several attempts to diet for the sake of his health – is scheduled to be executed in Ohio in January, but his lawyers say that the convicted killer, who weighs in at 34st 4lb (218kg), cannot be legally executed as Ohio statutes require a ‘quick and painless lethal injection’.
The Times newspaper in London reports that Mr Post’s lawyers have submitted a declaration from University of Miami anaesthetist and professor David Lubarsky, who claimed that Mr Post’s ‘unique physical and medial condition’ would cause severe difficulties for those in charge of his execution.
Obesity: longer life span?
The professor estimates that ‘over 16 hours of continuous injections and a truckload of hydromorphone at the ready and constant disposal will be required to even possibly kill Mr Post’.
Meanwhile, lawyer Rachel Troutman is seeking to overturn Mr Post’s 1985 conviction. He originally opted not to contest charges of aggravated murder after shooting a motel clerk during a botched robbery, but, according to his lawyer, ‘received nothing in exchange for his plea’.
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