10 February 2022 :
Autopsy report for John Grant shows fluid in lungs, aspiration on vomit
The official cause of death for Oklahoma death row inmate John Grant was ruled as "judicial execution by lethal injection", but an autopsy report released Monday from the Medical Examiner's office reveals more about Grant's time on the execution chamber gurney.
On October 28th, the state resumed executions in Oklahoma after a years-long pause due to a series of mishaps. John Grant, the 1st inmate set to be put to death in the new era of executions in Oklahoma, didn't know his fate until a few hours before his scheduled execution.
Dan Snyder, FOX 25's evening anchor, was chosen as a media witness to watch the execution. Shortly after Midazolam, the first drug used in a 3-drug cocktail, was administered, Grant began to convulse.
"Almost immediately after the drug was administered, Grant began convulsing, so much so that his entire upper back repeatedly lifted off the gurney," Snyder recalled.
Midazolam is the most controversial drug in the state's execution protocol. How it's obtained by the state is shrouded in secrecy, and the dosage given to inmates has been criticized by doctors as being far more than a normal dosage.
"It's just an insane dose and there's probably no data on what that could cause," said Jonathan Groner, an Ohio State University medical school surgery professor and lethal injection expert.
A pathologist at Emory University FOX 25 spoke to in 2020 has been studying Midazolam's use in executions. Dr. Mark Edgar told FOX 25 that he found Midazolam caused pulmonary edema, which likely lead to significant suffering in inmates who were executed with the drug.
“You would be aware of sensations of drowning, asphyxia, and terror if you have severe pulmonary edema like most of these inmates did," Edgar said.
In Grant's autopsy report, doctors noted his lungs were "heavy" with edema, congestion, and mild emphysema.
A set of normal human lungs weighs approximately 1000 grams. Grant's lungs weighed 1390 grams.
Intramuscular haemorrhage of the tongue was noted in Grant's autopsy. Intramuscular bleeding of the tongue is typically found in fire fatalities, drowning victims, and victims of asphyxiation.
Witnesses to Grant's execution noted he vomited several times while convulsing. The autopsy report showed Grant aspirated on his vomit. Grant also had mild heart disease. Several arteries had mild stenosis, or a narrowing of arteries, which can reduce blood flow to the heart.
The autopsy report also noted Grant had alprazolam in his bloodstream. The day before the execution, Grant's attorneys said he had been given two doses of Xanax, as permitted by execution protocol.
