Death row killer claims he’s too ILL to execute humanely because he can’t breathe lying down
AN OHIO death row inmate who claims he's too ill for lethal injection will be given a pillow to help him breathe as he's being executed.
Alva Campbell is set to die tomorrow morning for killing a teenage boy during a Columbus carjacking two decades ago.
The 69-year-old became mildly agitated when lying on his back - in the normal execution position - during a medical exam last month.
Doctors also failed to find veins suitable for inserting an IV on either of Campbell’s arms, according to a medical review by the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Campbell has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder as the result of a decades-long two-pack-a-day smoking habit, a doctor said.
The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction now plans to provide the prisoner with a wedged-shaped pillow because of the breathing issues he could experience while lying flat.
Prisons department spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said yesterday Campbell’s "medical condition and history are being assessed and considered in order to identify any necessary accommodations or contingencies for his execution".
Campbell has begged the US Supreme Court to stop his execution, saying he's too ill to execute - a motion rejected by the state.
Prosecutors said Campbell’s health claims are ironic given he faked paralysis to escape court custody the day he killed a teenager.
On April 2, 1997, Campbell was in a wheelchair when he overpowered a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy on the way to a court hearing on several armed robbery charges, records show.
He took the deputy’s gun, carjacked 18-year-old Charles Dials and drove around with him for several hours before shooting him twice in the head, according to court records.
