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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 21 March 2023

Idaho poised to allow firing-squad executions in some cases

By REBECCA BOONE “I’ve seen the aftermath to ask my staff to do that,”
Associated Press of shootings, and it’s psy- Tewalt said.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Ida- chologically damaging to Both Tewalt and his former
ho is poised to allow firing anybody who witnesses co-worker Kevin Kempf
squads to execute con- it,” Foreman said. “The use played a key role in ob-
demned inmates when the of the firing squad is, in my taining the drugs used in
state can’t get lethal-injec- opinion, beneath the dig- the 2012 execution of Rich-
tion drugs, under a bill the nity of the state of Idaho.” ard Albert Leavitt, flying
Legislature passed Monday The bill originated with Re- to Tacoma, Washington,
with a veto-proof majority. publican Rep. Bruce Skaug, with more than $15,000 in
Firing squads will be used prompted in part by the cash to buying them from
only if the state cannot state’s inability to execute a pharmacist. The trip was
obtain the drugs needed Gerald Pizzuto Jr. late last carefully kept secret by the
for lethal injections — and year. Pizzuto, who now has department but revealed
one death row inmate has terminal cancer and other in court documents after
already had his scheduled debilitating illnesses, has University of Idaho profes-
execution postponed mul- spent more than three de- sor Aliza Cover sued for the
tiple times because of drug cades on death row for his information under a public
scarcity. role in the 1985 slayings of records act.
Idaho previously had a fir- two gold prospectors. Kempf was promoted to
ing squad option on the The Idaho Department of lead the Idaho Department
books but has never used Correction estimates that of Correction two years lat-
it. The option was removed it will cost around $750,000 er but now is the executive
from state law in 2009 after to build or retrofit a death director of the Correctional
the U.S. Supreme Court up- The execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security chamber for firing squad Leaders Association. He
held a method of lethal in- Institution is shown as Security Institution Warden Randy Blades executions. said the execution process
jection that was commonly look on in Boise, Idaho on Oct. 20, 2011. Associated Press Idaho Department of Cor- is always challenging for
used at the time. rection Director Jeff Tewalt all involved, including the
Only Mississippi, Utah, Okla- can, has voiced his support squad is “humane.” last year told lawmakers family members of victims.
homa and South Carolina for the death penalty but “This is a rule of law issue our there would likely be as Those challenges could be
currently have laws allow- generally does not com- criminal system should work many legal challenges to amplified in firing squad ex-
ing firing squads if other ment on legislation before and penalties should be ex- planned firing squad ex- ecutions, he said.
execution methods are he signs or vetoes it. acted,” Ricks said. ecutions as there are to “I’ve got to say at the same
unavailable, according to Sen. Doug Ricks, a Republi- But Sen. Dan Foreman, also lethal injections. At the time, my thoughts go to
the Death Penalty Informa- can who co-sponsored the a Republican, said firing- time, he said he would be staff members that may
tion Center. A judge has bill, told his fellow senators squad executions would reluctant to ask his staff- have to carry out some-
put South Carolina’s law on Monday that the state’s traumatize the people who ers to participate in a firing thing, per law, that looks
on hold until a lawsuit chal- difficulty in finding lethal who carry them out, the squad. like putting someone to
lenging the method is re- injection drugs could con- people who witness them “I don’t feel, as the director death,” Kempf told the AP
solved. tinue “indefinitely” and that and the people who clean of the Idaho Department of during a phone interview
Gov. Brad Little, a Republi- he believes death by firing up afterward. Correction, the compulsion earlier this month. q

Police: Dentist used rush order cyanide to poison wife

perform surgery. As Angela have decided to file charg- made for her for their work- gators that Craig was on
Craig languished in the hos- es against him. outs on March 6 and then the verge of bankruptcy
pital with doctors unable to Police in the Denver suburb gave her one with potas- and had been having
figure out what was wrong of Aurora began investigat- sium cyanide before she problems in his marriage.
with her, police also allege ing Craig after the partner had to go back to the hos- Angela Craig’s sister, Toni
James Craig was meeting in his dental practice and pital again. The delivery of Kofoed, told police that
with a woman he planned friend, Ryan Redfearn, told a third substance he is ac- Craig had drugged his wife
to start a new life with, ac- a nurse that Craig had or- cused of ordering, Olean- about five years ago with
cording to court docu- dered potassium cyanide drin, was intercepted by an unknown drug because
ments. even though they did not authorities after they be- he said he planned to kill
In this undated photo provided Craig, 45, was arrested on need it for their work, ac- gan investigating him. himself and did not want
by Aurora Police Department suspicion of first-degree cording to an arrest war- According to the arrest af- her to be able to save him.
is James Craig.
Associated Press murder Sunday, shortly af- rant laying out evidence fidavit, Craig told Redfearn Kofoed believes that inci-
ter his wife died after being gathered by investigators. that he ordered the potassi- dent is what Craig refer-
By COLLEEN SLEVIN taken off life support during Craig had asked an office um cyanide for his wife and enced in a series of texts
Associated Press her third trip to the hospital manager not to open the told a social worker that between Angela and
DENVER (AP) — Investiga- this month. According to package but another em- she had been suicidal and James Craig about her
tors say a Colorado dentist court records, he is being ployee did, leading to its depressed since he asked symptoms after she first fell
intent on killing his wife put represented by the public discovery and eventual dis- for a divorce in Decem- ill on March 6. James Craig
poison in her protein shakes defender’s office, which closure to authorities, the ber even though neither of wrote: “Given our history I
before finally succeeding does not comment on cas- document said. the couple’s children said know that must be trigger-
with a rush order dose of es. Craig is scheduled to Investigators believe Craig anything about suicide at- ing. Just for the record, I
potassium cyanide pow- appear in court Thursday to put arsenic in one of the tempts. didn’t drug you. I am super
der he said he needed to learn whether prosecutors protein shakes he routinely Redfearn also told investi- worried though.”q