Ohio killer is 1st US inmate put to death through 1-drug injection instead of conventional 3

Ohio executes inmate with 1-drug lethal injection

LUCASVILLE, Ohio — Ohio executed a convicted killer on Tuesday through the first U.S. lethal injection using a single drug, a supposedly less painful method than previous executions with three drugs.

Kenneth Biros was pronounced dead at 11:47 a.m. Tuesday, about 43 minutes after members of the execution team began preparing him by attempting to insert IV needles at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.

The actual execution appeared to last just 10 minutes, about the usual length of time in the past when Ohio used a three-drug method. The execution team appeared to have trouble finding usable veins but eventually completed the process after about 30 minutes.

Biros’ chest heaved up and down several times and he moved his head a couple of times over a period of about two minutes before his body stopped moving. He apologized for his crime and thanked his friends and family for supporting him.

The mother, sister and brother of his victim applauded as the warden announced the time of death.

Ohio changed its execution method from three drugs to a single anesthetic following a failed attempt at putting a different inmate to death in September. Other states still use a combination of three drugs.

Biros was sentenced to die for killing a woman in 1991, then scattering her body parts in Ohio and Pennsylvania.