It is quiet on death row. Everyone knows that in the next 60 minutes, one of their fellow prisoners
will no longer be alive. The echoing of a guard’s boots is heard coming down the cell block.
They stop in front of the unlucky prisoner's cell. He only has one hour left before a deadly
cocktail is shot into his body. There is a quiet sob as this terrible reality sets in.
60 minutes before execution:
The prisoner takes a deep breath and looks out through the bars at the two men standing with
their backs to him. They have been placed there to ensure that he doesn’t do anything to harm himself
before his final sentence can be carried out. The prisoner walks up to the bars, grabs them
with both hands, and closes his eyes. He will not beg for mercy. He has accepted his fate.
59 minutes before execution:
The prisoner walks back to his cot and picks up the freshly washed jumpsuit,
which is folded on his bed. After taking a final shower, the guards brought him a
new uniform to put on before the execution. It is no different than what he’s wearing,
but it is clean. The prisoner changes his outfit. He feels a calmness wash over his body. Only a
few hours ago, he was eating his last meal. It was nothing fancy, just a pizza and some soda.
There is a budget for how much can be spent on a final meal, but this was all he wanted anyway.
58 minutes before execution:
He sits on his bed. Although he is calm, the prisoner is also restless.
Less than an hour from now, he will be dead. He thinks about what will be waiting for him
on the other side. He has done some terrible things in his life, and for the last decade,
he has been repenting for those sins. He wonders if it will be enough or if an unforgiving God
waits for him in the afterlife. Either way, he does not have much hope of going to heaven.
All he can do is pray that there is a way to change his fate once he leaves the mortal realm.
55 minutes before execution:
The prisoner stands up again and goes back over to the cold metal bars that separate him from the
guards. “Thank you for treating me like a human and keeping everyone in this facility safe,” he
says to them. The guards do not respond. They remain silent but give the prisoner a nod.
They are not friends, and the guards do not pity the man, but his acknowledgment is appreciated.
50 minutes before execution:
A door creeks open at the end of the hallway. Two men approach the cell;
they are the warden and the chaplain. One of the guards opens the cell door.
Both the warden and the chaplain enter the small room. Three chairs are brought in,
and the prisoner along with his two guests, sit down for a final conversation.
45 minutes before execution:
After prayers are said, the three men get down to business. The warden explains exactly what is
about to happen so that the prisoner can prepare himself. He will be led to the execution chamber,
where he will be allowed to make a last statement. The prisoner already had something in mind,
but now he is going over it in his head to make sure his last words come out just right.
40 minutes before execution:
The warden leaves to oversee the final preparations for the execution.
The chaplain stays to recite prayers and answer questions the prisoner may be having.
“What do you think it will be like after I die?” he asks. The chaplain looks at him for a moment.
“God works in mysterious ways,” he responds. “I do not know what comes after this life,
but if you put your faith in God, all will be as he ordains.” The prisoner ponders
this for a moment. His life is no longer in his hands. He bows his head and continues to pray.
30 minutes before execution:
As the chaplain and prisoner talk, the execution chamber is being prepared for his arrival.
The executioner takes out a series of vials from cold storage and lines them up on a tray.
They check the needles and tubes to make sure the lethal injection goes according to plan.
The heart monitor gets turned on to make sure it is working properly. Satisfied that the execution
will go smoothly, they leave the room to inform the warden that everything is set. Then the
executioner goes back to his office to prepare himself mentally and change into their scrubs.
20 minutes before execution:
The warden returns to the cell where the chaplain and the prisoner are still praying. “It’s time,”
he tells them. The chaplain puts his hand on the prisoner’s shoulder and then stands up.
He leaves the cell. The guards step to the door and wait for the prisoner. He takes a
deep breath and rises from his chair. They place him in handcuffs and escort him out of the cell
and down the hall. They stop at a series of doors that buzz as they unlock. Once they are through,
the doors automatically swing shut and lock behind them. There is no turning back now.
15 minutes before execution:
The curtain is drawn back from the window separating the viewing room from the execution
chamber. A door at the far side of the room opens; the warden, along with the prisoner’s mother,
a lawyer, and a state witness, enters the room. They sit in the metal folding chairs in front of
the viewing window. The mother of the man being executed holds a wad of crumpled tissue paper in
her hand. She does not approve of what her son did, but he is still her own flesh and blood.
She will see this through even though it will be incredibly difficult for her.
10 minutes before execution:
The buzzer on the door leading into the execution chamber sounds. The metal slab
swings open. The prisoner is led into the room by the guards. He still wears handcuffs as he
is brought to the window. He raises his head and looks his mother in the eyes for
the last time. He nods to his lawyer and then closes his eyes. He recites his last statement
from memory. It is mostly composed of words asking for forgiveness for what he has done.
He accepts his fate but wants the people present to know that he feels remorse. If he could do
it all over again, he would never have committed his crimes. He does not plead for second chances.
7 minutes before execution:
The prisoner is brought over to the metal table in the middle of the room and lays down.
The guards remove his handcuffs. The prisoner is secured using leather restraints.
They are pulled tight so his arms and legs can not move from the table. The
guards check the restraints one final time before stepping to the side.
5 minutes before execution:
The executioner sterilizes the needles and swabs iodine on the prisoner’s arms.
These procedures seem unnecessary since preventing infection is a moot point at this stage, but it is
done anyways. They insert an IV into each of the prisoner's arms. One will be used as the
main delivery method for the drugs that will kill him. The other is a backup in case something goes
wrong. After the IVs are secured, the chaplain says a prayer and a few words. He looks at the
prisoner on the table and grabs his hand briefly. “God will be waiting for you on the other side,”
he whispers. The chaplain lets go and moves to the corner of the room. He is employed by the prison
system otherwise he would have been required to be in the observation room with everyone else.
3 minutes before execution:
The executioner moves to the side of the table and checks the needles in each arm.
The people in the viewing room look on. The first plunger is inserted into the IV,
and the drugs are pushed into his veins. This first shot is composed of Sodium thiopental
or pentobarbital. Both of these drugs are fast working anesthetics that render the
prisoner unconscious in less than 30 seconds. As time goes by, his vision becomes blurry.
He drifts in and out of consciousness. Eventually, his breathing slows, and he
is in a dreamlike state. It is then the next part of the procedure can begin.
2 minutes before execution:
The executioner inserts another needle into the IV and pushes the plunger. Pancuronium
bromide enters the unconscious prisoner’s system, causing their muscles to relax and leading to the
paralysis of the entire body. This includes the diaphragm and respiratory muscles. After
the Pancuronium bromide is administered, the prisoner would eventually die from asphyxiation.
But there is one more drug added to the cocktail inside their body to ensure death is swift.
90 seconds before execution:
The executioner inserts the final drug into the IV. Potassium chloride
is injected into the prisoner’s body. This increase in potassium salt in his system
causes the heart to beat irregularly and eventually leads to cardiac arrest.
1 second before execution:
The lethal cocktail circulating through the unconscious prisoner’s body does exactly
what it’s intended to do. His heart has stopped beating, his lungs have stopped taking in oxygen,
and his brain is shutting down. The EKG hooked up to his chest does not pulse any longer but is
droning a single long beep. The prisoner is dead. The executioner manually checks his pulse and the
body. They confirm that the prisoner has passed away and turns off the machines in the room.
After the execution:
The chaplain bows his head and says a final prayer. The people in the viewing room stand
up and are ushered out of the room by the warden. The executioner drapes a white sheet
over the deceased prisoner. The execution has been carried out. His final hour on death row is over.
In the coming days, his body will be cremated and returned to his family.
Now watch “What Happens When Death Row Execution Fails.”
Or check out “Innocent on Death Row, Here's What You Actually Get When You're Released.”