Georgia Records Inmate's Execution

Andrew DeYoung was executed Thursday in Georgia for killing his parents and sister in 1993. He was executed by lethal injection using a new anesthetic called Pentobarbital. According to an attorney currently appealing the sentence for another death row inmate, this new anesthetic causes unnecessary pain and suffering. Specifically, it is argued that the drug does not induce a deep enough coma to prevent the immense pain caused by the two drugs that follow. As a way to determine if the drug causes unnecessary pain, the Georgia Supreme Court held on Wednesday that the execution could be recorded.

Georgia is the first state to record an execution by lethal injection. California recorded an execution in the gas chamber in 1992, and the execution of Timothy McVeigh was recorded and broadcast on a closed circuit. No other states with the death penalty currently allow recorded executions.

Critics of the decision by the Georgia Supreme Court fear that although the recording was placed under court seal, the video could be leaked to the public in some way. They also warned of various safety concerns involving the presence of the camera man inside the execution room.

For what it's worth, DeYoung showed no signs of pain during his execution. He remained calm and was able to state as his last words, "I'm sorry for everyone I've hurt."