Donald E. Harding

Donald Eugene Harding (March 1, 1949 – April 6, 1992) was convicted of the January 25, 1980 murders of Robert Wise and Martin Concannon. He was executed in 1992 by the State of Arizona by gas chamber. He became the first person to be executed in Arizona since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated.

Harding's execution is also noteworthy in that his asphyxiation in the gas chamber took 11 minutes before death was finally confirmed. His death caused the reporters to be visibly upsetFact|date=June 2008 to the point where reporters cried. Even the attorney general vomited. The execution was deemed such a mishap that the prison warden would resign if such an execution were performed again. [Better. Pg 131. By Atul Gawande]

This provided momentum for the movement to replace the gas chamber with lethal injection, and in November of that year, Arizona voters approved the change in method, although prisoners sentenced to death prior to November 15, 1992 could still choose the gas chamber. Harding thus became the last prisoner executed in Arizona's gas chamber without having lethal injection as an option (Walter Burnhart LaGrand was gassed after twice refusing lethal injection).

See also

* List of individuals executed in Arizona
* Capital punishment in the United States

Sources

* [http://test.azcorrections.gov/isearch/inmate_datasearch/drow_info/043255.aspx?InmateNumber=043255&FN=HARDING%20DONALD,%20E Inmate 043255 Harding Donald, E] . "Arizona Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://www.azcorrections.gov/DeathRow/DeathRowGeneral.asp?topic=DeathPenaltyHistory Arizona Death Penalty History] . Arizona Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DD1630F934A15750C0A964958260 Execution Pace Climbs As Appeals Run Course] . "The New York Times" (1992-03-27). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DC1F30F934A35757C0A964958260 Arizona Conducts First Execution in 29 Years] . "The New York Times" (1992-04-07). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5D7113BF936A15757C0A964958260 Gruesome Death in Gas Chamber Pushes Arizona Toward Injections] . "The New York Times" (1992-04-25). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special32/articles/06230622EXEharding-ON.html Donald Eugene Harding] . "azcentral.com" (2004-06-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* Limberis, Chris. [http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=54222 Justice Delayed] . "Tucson Weekly" (2004-03-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=245#az Methods of Execution] . Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
* [http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/0113vip-woods0113.html. Reflections on Death in Gas Chamber.] Retrieved on 2008-01-14.