Set to die, inmate asks to give liver to his sister

[Contrary1]

Only in Indiana...

"Gregory Scott Johnson's sister suffers from liver disease and will die without a transplant. Johnson wants her to have his liver.
"Chances are I'm not going to be needing it very long," he said.

Johnson is scheduled to die by injection at 12:01 a.m. May 25 for the 1985 murder of 82-year-old Ruby Hutslar.

<snip>

" 'I'm sorry' just doesn't cut it," he said, speaking this week in a meeting room at the Indiana State Prison. "All of the same stupid things I've done that I thought wasn't hurting anyone -- at that time in my life, I didn't care. "I care now, but it's too late."

<snip>

(Comment added by me) Here's the punchline...

Johnson and his lawyers say he is willing to give the whole liver even if it means the procedure would kill him. But killing him by any means other than chemical injection would be illegal.

More, if you can stand the stupidity...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050512/NEWS01/505120469

[DemBones DemBones]

1. I hope they'll allow him to donate his liver (most of it) to his sister

BEFORE his execution. Livers regenerate so a part of a sibling's liver can be a lifesaver for the one with a failing liver.

(I say BEFORE his execution because I don't know what the poison used to kill him would do to his liver. Anyone know if organs from the lethally-injected are ever suitable for transplant?)

[sui generis]

3. not the liver

that's why China puts a bullet in their head as their means of public execution - executed prisoners are a great source of harvested organs when disposed of properly. :eyes:

But they can certainly do both: remove the liver, put him on bypass life support and then administer a lethal dose and technically satisfy both requirements.

[Contrary1]

4. Yeah, but that screws up their plans

to execute a healthy prisoner on the appointed date, as it would take 2 weeks to 2 months for him to recover, if just a portion of the liver is harvested.

Organs deteriorate rapidly from potassium chloride, so it's unlikely it would be any good after the execution had taken place.

[hlthe2b]

2. This came up in GA and interesting reaction from newscaster....

Monica Kaufman (a legend at channel 2 in Atlanta), upon finding that organ donations can't occur in those killed by lethal injection, without missing a beat just blurted out, "well can't they just hang him?"

I guess you had to be there, but the absolutely stunned reaction from everyone in the newsroom was hilarious!

Atlantans will know what I mean, although I have long since moved away, I know Monica is still around.

[malmapus]

5. Wow I remember Monica

She's been there forever and a day now :)

[hlthe2b]

6. My sister still lives in Atlanta and says Monica is retiring sometime soon

Ironic, isn't it that the case that absolutely "made" Monica a tv news fixture (the Atlanta Child Murders) may now be reopened at the end of her career?


She always amused me with her tendency to say the first thing that occurred to her, without thinking. LOL

[malmapus]

7. lol yeah I remember that about her(saying first thing that occured to her)

Was just reading about them reopening the child murder cases, man I barely remember those times, plus living in Fayette county back then seemed a world away from Atlanta, now its just part of greater Altanta lol.

[NorthernSpy]

8. my god, people!

No one should ever have anything to gain from an execution!

Just look at China. Where on earth does such a road take us?


Compassion really is at the root of all atrocity.

[OrlandoGator]

9. Culture of Life.

There you have it.