Louisiana "committed" to continuing executions, Landry says
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Gov. Jeff Landry remains "committed" to Louisiana's death penalty despite Tennessee's recent failed execution attempt, he told Axios New Orleans in an exclusive interview.
Why it matters: Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is awake and talking despite being administered two doses of lethal injection drugs. Louisiana also conducts executions using lethal injection.
What he's saying: "They did a poor job in Tennessee," Landry said Monday.
- "We're watching what things happen in other states. We're still committed — because again, this is a contract between the victim's families and the state," he added. "I don't break my contracts, right? And so we are moving ahead accordingly and taking the advice of the attorney general very seriously."
Catch up quick: Louisiana used lethal injection between 1991, when the state outlawed the use of its electric chair, and 2010, the Louisiana Illuminator has reported, when sourcing the drugs used for lethal injections became increasingly difficult.
- Landry moved to restart executions in Louisiana after taking office, signing legislation in 2024 to add nitrogen hypoxia and restore electrocution as an approved method for carrying out death sentences.
- The state has since executed one person, Jessie Hoffman, using nitrogen. Prison officials said he did "shake" during the procedure, but Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott called the process "flawless."
How it works: Under Louisiana law, an inmate's method of execution is selected by the DPSC secretary.
- Louisiana's lethal injection protocol calls for one of two drug options, which Westcott would select from, according to a public record shared by the Death Penalty Information Center. They include pentobarbital, the same drug used in Pike's attempted execution, or a combination of midazolam and hydromorphone.
What we're watching: A federal court on Monday denied an appeal request from Todd Wessinger, who appears poised to be the second person executed under Landry's tenure, according to The Advocate.
- Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said he plans to seek a death warrant for Wessinger, who was convicted of shooting three co-workers, two fatally, at a Baton Rouge restaurant in 1995.
Go deeper: How each state carries out the death penalty