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Drug That Killed Michael Jackson to be Used in Executions
Photo by Mark Luethi via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Propofol, the drug that killed Michael Jackson, will now be used to execute death row inmates in Missouri, reports the New York Post.
The drug made headlines in June of 2009 when it was discovered that a lethal dose of it caused the King of Pop to stop breathing, after he allegedly requested that he be given it in order to sleep. Now, officials in Missouri are taking their cue from pop culture, and have decided to swap out their current three-drug execution cocktail for a single dose of propofol.
The decision was made by the state's Department of Corrections, and since it's considered a protocol change, it didn't need to get the green light from legislators.
The only problem, according to experts, is that the drug hasn't really been tested for use in executions, and it's not clear exactly how it will -- or should -- be administered.
"Any drug used for a new purpose on human subjects should certainly be tested very, very carefully," Richard Dieter, executive director of the Washington-based Death Penalty Information Center, told the Post. "I can only imagine the things that might go wrong."
TMZ notes that officials in Missouri haven't announced when the change will go into effect.
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