This is part 4 in a series that examines the death penalty in the United States of America. You can read the other posts here: Part 1: Redemption Part 2: Deterrence Part 3: Cost Part 4: Humane killing? Part 5: Closure Part 6: Conclusion In January 2014, in Ohio, Dennis McGuire gasped, his stomach heaved violently and his fists clenched through 25 minutes of a botched execution. Horrified, an audience and a team of executioners watched a human being suffer before finally succu