Lauren Galik on Secret (and Likely Illegal) Execution Drugs

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Death Penalty
CACorrections/Wikimedia

Just after midnight tonight, writes Lauren Galik, convicted murderer Herbert Smulls will be executed by the Missouri Department of Corrections. On February 5, Christopher Sepulvado, convicted of killing his stepson in 1992, will meet the same fate in Louisiana. It's likely that both men will die not knowing what exactly is being shoved into their veins. Information about the drugs that will be used to kill these men—including where they came from, or if they've been tested for purity—has been kept a closely guarded secret by state correctional departments in both Louisiana and Missouri.