Gov. John R. Kasich has denied a request for executive clemency from Gary Otte who was convicted in Cuyahoga County for the 1992 robbery and murder of 61 year-old Robert Wasikowski and 45 year-old Sharon Kostura at their respective apartments in Parma, OH.
Judge to hear Ohio killer’s request to delay execution
Attorneys for death row inmate Gary Otte argue the state hasn’t shown it can ensure inmates are rendered deeply unconscious during lethal injection.
Most Of Ohio’s Death Row Inmates Have Serious Mental, Intellectual Impairments
Of the 26 Ohio men set to be executed in the next three years, a review by Harvard Law’s Fair Punishment Project shows almost two thirds suffered serious childhood trauma. Nearly a quarter are likely severely mentally ill and 42 percent have other impairments such as brain injuries.