Dennis McGuire

Dennis McGuire became part of the modern history of problematic American executions because of what happened in Ohio on January 16, 2014. The case is included in the Death Penalty Information Center’s compilation of well-known botched or failed executions.

The execution case

Ohio used a then-unprecedented combination of midazolam and hydromorphone. Witnesses described approximately 25 minutes of labored breathing and other visible reactions before McGuire was declared dead.

Outcome

Dennis McGuire died after a prolonged execution marked by gasping, snorting and choking sounds. That outcome places the case in the same historical network as other American execution failures, including Romell Broom, Doyle Hamm, Clayton Lockett, Joseph Wood, Willie Francis and, in 2026, Christa Pike.

Why this profile matters

This distinction is especially useful for cases such as Dennis McGuire, where public interest often centers on the execution itself rather than only on the original conviction.

Sources

– Death Penalty Information Center — Botched Executions (case entry for Dennis McGuire)