Louisiana Man Facing Execution Dies Before Scheduled Date at Angola

Christopher Sepulvado, aged 81, died at the Louisiana State Penitentiary before his scheduled execution next month for the murder of his stepson. His passing raises ethical concerns about capital punishment, particularly regarding the use of nitrogen hypoxia. Jesse Hoffman is the next scheduled for execution, amid ongoing legal disputes over execution methods in Louisiana.

Christopher Sepulvado, an 81-year-old man due to be executed next month for the 1992 murder of his stepson, passed away overnight at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. His attorney, Shawn Nolan, confirmed that Sepulvado had undergone a leg amputation due to gangrene and was diagnosed with terminal illness, leading to recommendations for hospice care following the setting of his execution date on March 17.

Nolan expressed deep concern regarding the state’s plans for Sepulvado, stating, “the idea that the State was planning to strap this tiny, frail, dying old man to a chair and force him to breathe toxic gas into his failing lungs is simply barbaric.” Sepulvado was slated to be the first person executed in Louisiana by nitrogen hypoxia, a method approved by the state’s lawmakers and Governor Jeff Landry last year.

The last execution in Louisiana occurred in 2010 with Gerald Bordelon receiving lethal injection. The next individual facing execution is Jessie Hoffman, convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliot, scheduled to die on March 18. Current legal challenges against Louisiana’s new execution method are being pursued by the attorneys of 10 death row inmates.

Sepulvado had previously encountered several delays in his execution, with multiple dates established and subsequently suspended as legal challenges against lethal injection practices emerged. A federal judge in Baton Rouge denied his latest motion for reconsideration in November 2022. Recently, a death warrant was issued for Sepulvado, who was convicted for the murder of his stepson, Wesley Allen Mercer, aged 6.

The passing of Christopher Sepulvado highlights significant ethical questions surrounding the death penalty in Louisiana. His case exemplifies the complexities surrounding the execution of terminally ill inmates and the controversial method of nitrogen hypoxia, which is set to be employed for future executions. As legal challenges continue, the plight of those on death row remains a contentious issue.

Original Source: www.news-journal.com