OCALA, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush suspended all executions in Florida after a medical examiner said Friday that officials botched the insertion of the needles during the execution of a convicted killer earlier this week.

The execution of a convicted killer took 34 minutes -- more than twice as long as normal.

Angel Nieves Diaz, 55, was put to death Wednesday for murdering of the manager of a Miami topless bar during a holdup in 1979. The condemned man not only took 34 minutes to die, but also needed a rare second dose of the lethal chemicals.

Dr. William Hamilton, who performed the autopsy, said the needles pierced Diaz's veins and then went into soft tissue in his arms. The lethal chemicals are supposed to go directly into the veins.

Hamilton refused to say whether he thought Diaz died a painful death.

"I am going to defer answers about pain and suffering until the autopsy is complete," he said.

He said the results were preliminary and toxicology tests and other tests may take several weeks.

Florida's move comes the same day that a federal judge who imposed a moratorium on executions in California on Friday declared the state's method of lethal injection unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel ruled in San Jose that California's "implementation of lethal injection is broken." But, he said, "it can be fixed."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Executioner says he has no medical training
Man botched Fla. inmate’s lethal injection, leading to a delayed death

TAMPA, Fla. - The lead executioner of a convicted killer who took twice the normal time to die never received any medical training, the executioner told a panel reviewing Florida’s lethal injection procedures Friday.

“I have no medical training and no qualifications,” said the executioner, testifying about the Dec. 13 lethal injection of Angel Nieves Diaz, which took 34 minutes and required a rare second dose of lethal chemicals.

After the botched execution, then-Gov. Jeb Bush halted executions in the state and created the panel to examine whether improvements can be made to the way lethal injections are administered. The panel’s report is due to be sent to new Gov. Charlie Crist by March 1.

The executioner testified by phone and answered questions with what sounded like a muffled male voice to guard his identity.

The executioner last received lethal injection training about seven years ago when Florida introduced lethal injections as an alternative to the electric chair.

Also testifying by phone with what sounded like a muffled female voice was a member of the medical team who inserted needles into each of Diaz’s arms. The person said they had over 10 years experience in a clinical setting and completed at least five executions.

Chemicals weren't injected correctly

Doctors concluded the needles had been pushed incorrectly through his veins into soft tissue, delaying the flow of chemicals into his bloodstream. An autopsy found chemical burns in both his arms.

After being unsuccessful in the first attempt to advance the catheter into Diaz’s right arm, the medical professional testified that the catheter was inserted higher up the arm. The left arm required only one attempt, the medical professional said.

Dr. Peter Springer, one of three doctors on the 11-person panel, said the people conducting lethal injections should be medical professionals.

“If lethal injections proceed, I think one of the recommendations the panel may put forward is that medically competent individuals become part of the process,” said Springer, a Volusia County Emergency Medical Services director.

He also noted, however, that ethical issues would complicate such a move. American Medical Association guidelines bar doctors from taking part, directly or indirectly, in executions.

Diaz, 55, was sentenced to death for killing a Miami topless bar manager 27 years ago. He had proclaimed his innocence.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.