John Marion Grant

John Marion Grant became part of the modern history of problematic American executions because of what happened in Oklahoma on October 28, 2021. The case is included in the Death Penalty Information Center’s compilation of well-known botched or failed executions.

The execution case

After midazolam was administered, witnesses reported repeated full-body convulsions and vomiting. The autopsy later documented pulmonary edema and other findings that became part of renewed scrutiny of Oklahoma’s three-drug protocol.

Outcome

John Marion Grant died after convulsing and vomiting during Oklahoma’s return to executions. 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 John Marion Grant, 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 John Marion Grant)