Keith LaMar, an inmate sentenced to death for his role in the 1993 prison riot at Southern Ohio Correctional Institution in Lucasville, has been given a reprieve by the Ohio Supreme Court in Columbus, Ohio.
Rescheduled Execution Date
LaMar was convicted of aggravated murder in 1995 for the deaths of five inmates during the violent uprising.
Initially scheduled for execution on November 16, 2023, LaMar’s execution date has now been rescheduled to January 13, 2027. His legal team argued that the evidence against him solely relied on uncorroborated inmate testimonies, with alleged proof of his innocence deliberately withheld, by AP News.
Ohio is currently facing an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty due to the state’s difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs from pharmaceutical companies. This delay in executions has pushed Ohio’s execution schedule until late 2026.
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The reprieve for LaMar has reignited discussions on the fairness of his trial and the death penalty. Supporters of LaMar believe that this extended time will allow for exploring new evidence that may challenge his conviction and potentially prove his innocence.
With the rescheduled execution date, LaMar’s legal team aims to present their case and further investigate the circumstances surrounding the Lucasville prison riot. Ohio continues to grapple with the complexities of the death penalty, striving to balance the administration of justice with fairness in its criminal justice system.