Kenneth Biros
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Biros was an American
convicted murderer who was sentenced to death and executed for the aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and felonious sexual penetration of a young woman. Biros was the first condemned person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States with the use of a single drug.
and northwest Pennsylvania
.
. He was sentenced to die by lethal injection at 10:00 A.M. on March 20, 2007. This would have been the first execution for Governor Ted Strickland
's administration. Governor Strickland denied Biros clemency on March 16, 2007. However, on that day the Supreme Court of the United States
upheld the ruling of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
that Biros' execution should be stayed to allow him to continue to argue his case that Ohio's lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment
. He was then transferred from Ohio's death row to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
in Lucasville, Ohio
. On April 24, 2009, Trumbull County
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins requested the Ohio Supreme Court to set an execution date after a federal judge decided on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, that Ohio's execution method was flawed, but not unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Ohio
later set a new execution date for Dec. 8, 2009.
on December 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
in Lucasville, Ohio
. His execution was originally scheduled for 10:00 AM, but was later delayed until 11:00 AM. He was pronounced dead at 11:47 AM. Biros was the first condemned person to be executed with a lethal single-drug dose of an anesthetic, sodium thiopental
, in the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
convicted murderer who was sentenced to death and executed for the aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and felonious sexual penetration of a young woman. Biros was the first condemned person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States with the use of a single drug.
Murder
Biros admitted to killing 22 year old Tami Engstrom during February 1991 in a fit of rage. Biros then cut up the body and spread various parts over a wide territory encompassing portions of northeast OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and northwest Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Conviction
Biros was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and felonious sexual penetration and sentenced to deathCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. He was sentenced to die by lethal injection at 10:00 A.M. on March 20, 2007. This would have been the first execution for Governor Ted Strickland
Ted Strickland
Theodore "Ted" Strickland was the 68th Governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ....
's administration. Governor Strickland denied Biros clemency on March 16, 2007. However, on that day the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
upheld the ruling of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
that Biros' execution should be stayed to allow him to continue to argue his case that Ohio's lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
. He was then transferred from Ohio's death row to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
The Southern Ohio Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in Lucasville, Ohio, United States. The prison was constructed in 1972 and currently contains the death house for Ohio where death row inmates are executed...
in Lucasville, Ohio
Lucasville, Ohio
Lucasville is a census-designated place in Scioto County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2000 census. The village of Lucasville was laid out by Captain John Lucas in June 1819 and recorded August 7, 1819. Captain Lucas built the first tavern in the village and kept it until...
. On April 24, 2009, Trumbull County
Trumbull County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 225,116 people, 89,020 households, and 61,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 365 people per square mile . There were 95,117 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins requested the Ohio Supreme Court to set an execution date after a federal judge decided on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, that Ohio's execution method was flawed, but not unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Ohio
Supreme Court of Ohio
The Supreme Court of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a chief justice and six associate justices, each serving six-year terms...
later set a new execution date for Dec. 8, 2009.
Execution
Biros was executed by lethal injectionLethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
on December 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
The Southern Ohio Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in Lucasville, Ohio, United States. The prison was constructed in 1972 and currently contains the death house for Ohio where death row inmates are executed...
in Lucasville, Ohio
Lucasville, Ohio
Lucasville is a census-designated place in Scioto County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2000 census. The village of Lucasville was laid out by Captain John Lucas in June 1819 and recorded August 7, 1819. Captain Lucas built the first tavern in the village and kept it until...
. His execution was originally scheduled for 10:00 AM, but was later delayed until 11:00 AM. He was pronounced dead at 11:47 AM. Biros was the first condemned person to be executed with a lethal single-drug dose of an anesthetic, sodium thiopental
Sodium thiopental
Sodium thiopental, better known as Sodium Pentothal , thiopental, thiopentone sodium, or Trapanal , is a rapid-onset short-acting barbiturate general anaesthetic...
, in the United States.