By Ken Ritter
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — Nevada’s former top doctor says a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide drove plans to use a never-before-tried three-drug combination for the state’s first execution in more than 11 years.
Dr. John DiMuro told The Associated Press in his first interview since resigning last month that Nevada prison officials couldn’t obtain a heart-stopping medication similar to what other states have used.
Instead, he developed a plan to use high doses of the sedative commonly known as Valium and the powerful opioid fentanyl (FEN'-tah-nil), plus a muscle paralytic. DiMuro says the paralytic would ensure the inmate would stop breathing.
A state court judge cited concerns about the paralytic “masking” any possible pain and suffering when she stopped the planned execution of Scott Raymond Dozier (DOH'-sher) pending state Supreme Court review.