Ohio Gov. John Kasich has issued a reprieve for a condemned killer scheduled to die next month following the recent extended execution of an inmate who repeatedly gasped during the procedure.
The decision delays the March 19 execution of Gregory Lott, who was sentenced to death for setting an East Cleveland man on fire in 1986 and leaving him to die. Lott's new execution date is Nov. 19. Kasich's reprieve follows an uproar over the Jan. 16 execution of Dennis McGuire. McGuire gasped and snorted for several minutes during his 26-minute execution, the longest in state history. Lott has sued in federal court to stop his execution, arguing that the two-drug method Ohio switched to creates risk of a cruel and inhumane death. McGuire's family also sued the state.