UPDATE:
Manuel Valle, 61, was executed Wednesday evening for the 1978 murder of a police officer.
Valle, who spent more than 30 years on death row, was pronounced dead at 7:14 p.m. at Florida State Prison. He was condemned for the murder of Officer Louis Pena, who was gunned down during a traffic stop in Coral Gables.
Valle was the first Florida prisoner to be executed with a new combination of lethal injection chemicals.
The state earlier this year changed the anesthetic used in the execution process when the previous drug was no longer made. The new drug, pentobarbital, has been the subject of court challenges about its effectiveness for this particular use.
It’s made by a Danish company, Lundbeck, which objects to its use in executions.
The execution was delayed nearly three hours pending a last-minute ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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U.S. Supreme Court Stays Execution of Cop Killer
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday delayed the exeuction of a prisoner scheduled to be the first to die with a new combination of lethal injection chemicals.
Manuel Valle, 61, was scheduled to be executed at 4 p.m., at Florida State Prison. He is condemned for the 1978 murder of police officer Louis Pena during a traffic stop.
The state earlier this year changed the anesthetic used in the execution process when the previous drug was no longer made.
The new drug, pentobarbital, has been the subject of court challenges about its effectiveness for this particular use. It’s made by a Danish company, Lundbeck, which objects to its use in executions.
The execution was delayed pending a last-minute ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman said it was unclear when the high court would rule.
