Indiana spent $1.175 million on four doses of execution drugs, two doses expired

Indiana spent more than $1 million in taxpayer funds to purchase four doses of execution drugs — some which were used, and several others that expired, reported the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Gov. Mike Braun clarified that the drugs were purchased in two transactions — one under former Gov. Eric Holcomb and one by him.

In total, $1.175 million was spent, Braun said. But two of those — worth $600,000 — expired with no use because “they had been on the shelf too long.”

Braun emphasized, however, that neither of the doses used by the Indiana Department of Correction in December and May were expired when administered to inmates.

Reporting by the Indiana Capital Chronicle previously revealed that at least $900,000 was spent by Holcomb’s administration to purchase pentobarbital. The execution drug was used in December to carry out the death penalty for convicted killer Joseph Corcoran, and again in May for the execution of Benjamin Ritchie.

“It was tricky, because if you acquired it, and there was some type of glitch, then you go into the same thing that happened with the Holcomb administration, which bought three (doses) — anticipating more (executions). But in course, two expired, so we were careful to make sure it looked like all the administrative parts (of the judicial process) were done,” Braun said, adding that his administration waited until “right before” Ritchie’s execution before buying any new doses of the drug.

“We knew that was going to be a fait accompli,” he continued. “I was careful, so that it looked like (the execution) was going to take place, and not have something occur. And that was a little tricky. But at that point, the Indiana Supreme Court and the parole board would have been all that was left to get through. Administratively, that looked like it had a pretty defined time frame. … It was a question of when you were going to actually get it and not be stranded with it.”

Braun denied Ritchie clemency less than a week before the execution.

Braun’s office confirmed that his predecessor paid $900,000 for three doses of the drug. Only one of those doses was used, however; the other two doses expired. Braun said earlier this month that the drug has a 90-shelf life.

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