Oregon governor John Kitzhaber has announced he will block the execution of a convicted murderer in the state, the first such execution to be carried out since the 1990s. KGW-TV has the scoop here.
Today, Kitzhaber announced he will block the execution of Gary Haugen, a convicted murderer who was scheduled to die by lethal injection on December 6. Kitzhaber further announced that he would permit no executions during his term as Governor.
Haugen had previously waived appeals, and the Oregon Supreme Court had cleared the way for his execution in two weeks; despite a psychologist's report offered at trial suggesting Haugen may be incompetent.
During his prior stint as governor, from 1994-2002, Kitzhaber oversaw two executions, both of men who (like Haugen) had waived appeals; something he claims has haunted him since. Besides Haugen, 36 other inmates sit on Oregon's death row.