COLUMBUS, Ohio (Aug. 4) - I should call this article "News of the weird," but here it is. A death row inmate scheduled for execution says he's too fat to be put to death. Yes, you heard correctly. His main argument is that he's fat, meaning that executioners would have trouble finding his veins, and that his weight could diminish the effectiveness of one of the lethal injection drugs.
Lawyers for Richard Cooey argue in a federal lawsuit that Cooey -- 5-feet-7 and 267 pounds -- had poor veins when he faced execution five years ago and the problem has been worsened by weight gain.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, also says prison officials have had difficulty drawing blood from Cooey for medical procedures.
Cooey, 41, is sentenced to die for raping and murdering two young women in 1986. His execution is scheduled for Oct. 14.
This is a good story, I think. We will report on it as the case progresses.
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