3/11/2009 Update: Unless last minute legal appeals are successful, Cal Coburn Brown will be executed by lethal injection early Friday morning, March 13, 2009. The most recent appeal for a stay by Brown's attorneys was denied by a Thurston County Superior Court judge today, March 11.
On December 24, 2008, convicted murderer Darold Stenson's execution was temporarily stayed by two court orders. While Stenson's lawyers fight for his life, the intricacies of the state's death penalty law have taken center stage. Shortly after Stenson's stay was issued, the head doctor for the Washington Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) resigned, in part because he believes the D.O.C. obtained the drugs for the lethal injection without a legal prescription. His complaint to the State Department of Health and a subsequent investigation has bolstered Stenson's defense team's argument that the state cannot legally perform the execution as ordered by the court.
Below are KUOW special reports on the Stenson and Brown cases, plus a three–part series which examines the death penalty in Washington. Parts one and two cover capital cases' affect on victims' family members and their impact on the legal system. Part three examines the process of an execution and discusses the ethics and particulars around the event.
Reported by Patricia Murphy.
Photo: Darold Stenson – Clallam County – Convicted 8/11/94 for the shooting deaths of his wife, Denise Stenson and his business partner, Frank Hoerner (Photos provided by Washington State Penitentiary).
Lethal Injection Court Challenge
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Thurston County Superior Court Judge will hear opening arguments today in a civil lawsuit that challenges the state's guidelines for administering a lethal injection.
Washington State's Execution Team Resigns
Thursday, April 02, 2009
The members of Washington state's execution team have resigned. The members stepped down because they feared their anonymity was at risk.
Cal Coburn Brown
Cal Coburn Brown Remains Alive After Stay
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friends and family of murder victim Holly Washa are still hoping Cal Coburn Brown will die. Thursday (yesterday) they were despondent after the Washington state Supreme Court spared his life. The ruling came down just hours before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
Cal Coburn Brown Stay of Execution Denied
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Thurston County Superior Court judge has denied an appeal by attorneys for Cal Coburn Brown. Brown is set to be executed tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Investigating the Source of Lethal Injection Drug in Stayed Stenson Case
Friday, January 09, 2009
The State Department of Health is investigating the way the State Department of Corrections obtained the lethal injection drugs for the currently stayed execution of double murderer Darold Stenson. KUOW's Patricia Murphy reports.
Execution chamber door
Washington Execution: The Mechanics of an Execution
Friday, December 05, 2008
Prisoners sentenced to death in Washington state have a choice of lethal injection or hanging. We'll tour the execution chamber at Walla Walla State Penitentiary, examine the process of lethal injection and hear from a former prison chaplin.
Injection table
Washington Execution: Capital Cases and the Law
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Death penalty cases are extremely complex and costly to pursue. We'll examine Washington state's narrow death penalty statute, "volunteer" executions and the intricate legal process surrounding capital cases.
Viewing room of the injection table
Washington Execution: Victims' Families
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Surviving family members in capital murder cases often endure years of legal appeals. For many, reliving the crime through the legal system is excruciating. Two family members share the affects of their capital trials and the final executions.
Judges Stay Execution of Washington Inmate, Prosecutors Will Appeal
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
State and county prosecutors say they will file the necessary appeals to lift the legal stays blocking the execution of convicted double murderer Darold Stenson. He was convicted in the 1993 shooting deaths of his wife and business partner. KUOW's Patricia Murphy reports.
Washington State's First Execution in Seven Years Temporarily Derailed
Monday, November 24, 2008
Washington state's first execution in seven years was temporarily derailed by two court ordered stays. KUOW was first to report on the startling new developments in the case.
