Christopher Newton (criminal)

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Christopher J. Newton
Christopher Newton's cousin holds a picture of him outside the prison following his execution.
Born November 13, 1969
Flag of Ohio Ohio, United States
Died May 24, 2007 (aged 37)
Flag of Ohio Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, Lucasville, Ohio, United States
Status Deceased (execution by lethal injection)

Christopher J. Newton (November 13, 1969 – May 24, 2007) was an American criminal whose recent execution by the state of Ohio motivated additional discussion about executions by lethal injection.

Christopher Newton received the death penalty for the 2001 aggravated murder of his cellmate, Jason Brewer. At the time of the murder, Newton was imprisoned for attempted aggravated burglary of his father's home. Newton claimed that the burglary was committed only in attempt to return to prison. After two years, he decided that he was ready to die in prison and knew that murdering another inmate would warrant the death penalty. Newton claimed that the motivation for the murder was that he was frustrated by his cellmate's poor chess playing skills and thus chose to beat, strangle and taste the blood of 27 year old Brewer.

The court denied Newton's defense funds for neuropsychiatric tests that could have proven severe mental disability. The Constitution of the State of Ohio specifically states that it is cruel and inhuman to execute someone with a severe mental disability.

The controversy surrounding Newton's execution was primarily attributed to the many problems associated with the administration of the injection. In particular, because he weighed 265 pounds, Newton's veins were very difficult to find. It took over two hours and 10 attempts before the execution was completed. It took so long that Newton was given a bathroom break. On average, it should take 20 minutes for a successful execution. The problems with Newton's execution occurred less than one year after the 90 minute execution of fellow Ohio inmate, Joseph Lewis Clark.

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Persondata
NAME Newton, Christopher (criminal)
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Murderer executed by lethal injection in 2007.
DATE OF BIRTH November 13, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH Ohio
DATE OF DEATH 24 May 2007
PLACE OF DEATH Ohio
Languages