Kasich Denies Clemency Request for Dennis McGuire

OHIO – Gov. John R. Kasich has denied a request for executive clemency for Dennis McGuire, who in 1994 was convicted of the aggravated murder of Joy Stewart in Preble County.

McGuire is scheduled to be executed, today, January 16 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. On Dec. 20, the Ohio Parole Board unanimously recommended against clemency for McGuire.

Some controversy has surrounded the execution related to the manner in which McGuire’s capital punishment sentence will be carried out. A two step injection will be used instead of the three stage method previously used. McGuire’s attorneys have argued that the two step will be cruel and unusual punishment because there is question of how much the subject will feel in the final moments. Gov. Kasich apparently did not agree as the sentence is expected to be carried out sometime today.

McGuire raped and murdered Stewart in 1989.