The executioner asked David M. Brewer, a felon convicted for aggravated murder who was executed in 2003, if he had any last words.
“Just that I’d like to say that system in Ohio, as far as death row inmates are concerned, there are some that are innocent,” Brewer said. “I’m not one of them, but there are plenty that are innocent. I hope the state recognizes that.”
“That’s all I have to say.”
Moments before an execution, prisons record inmates’ last words. They also offer special final meals for inmates, and they document the information in a database.
Over the summer, several national media outlets including The New York Times reported that Texas, claimed to be America’s most active death penalty state, keeps a running online log of inmates’ last words. The stories garnered wide interest on social media.
In Ohio, the most common last word inmates said was “God,” according to a Post analysis of every word uttered by an executed inmate since 1999, using data provided by the state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Others were: “love,” “family,” “know” and “sorry.”
One of the most recent inmates to be executed, Brett Hartman, of Summit County, just said: “I’m good, let’s roll.”
When it came to meal requests, some asked for a bag of Doritos. Others decided on filet mignon or a cheeseburger.
It’s one of the few choices the inmates have left to make.
Ricky Seyfang, spokeswoman for the department, said the special meals are paid for from the existing prison budget, but she couldn’t point to an exact dollar amount or line item in the state budget.
Therefore, it wasn’t immediately clear how much public money goes toward death row inmates’ final requests.
The information is public record but isn’t posted online, unlike some prisons in the country.
“I’m not sure why they do (keep this information), but it might be because they’re commonly asked questions,” Seyfang said. “That’s the beauty of the Sunshine Law. …If you’re interested in something, all you have to do is ask.”
She went on to say that it could be made easier to get this information by creating an online database, which she said she’s now considering doing.
Of the 51 executed Ohio convicts since 1999, none were from Athens County. The most were from Hamilton and Cuyahoga counties, where Cincinnati and Cleveland, respectively, are located.
JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the department, said the last words and meal requests are listed in a document that she personally maintains.
There are 11 upcoming executions, some of which are scheduled as far out as 2015.
Bret Crow, spokesman for the Ohio Supreme Court, said there’s no definite answer as to why the cases are scheduled so far in advance, but each case is different.
“The (Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) asked that the court set execution days at least 60 days apart,” Crow said. “In general terms, there are a variety of factors that go into determining execution dates.”
Ohio’s death row inmates are held at the Chillicothe Correction Institution, and executions are performed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. Inmates can select three witnesses and one adviser.
Seyfang said that there are specific staff members who are responsible for the executions, but their names are kept confidential.
“It’s not their only job,” she said. “They’re part of the staff that agreed to do that. It’s a delicate matter, and we try to have respect for the staff through this process.”
“We take it very seriously and want to be humane about the whole thing.”
az346610@ohiou.edu
@XanderZellner
