TOLEDO, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine has granted a reprieve for Douglas Coley, a Toledo man convicted of murder, pushing his execution date from September 2025 to August 15, 2028. The decision, announced Thursday, is part of a series of reprieves issued by the governor due to ongoing issues related to the availability of lethal injection drugs in the state.
Coley, 49, was convicted in 1997 for the brutal killing of Samar El-Okdi, a Toledo woman. Despite being sentenced to death, Coley’s execution will now be delayed by more than three years. The governor’s office attributed this delay to complications surrounding the procurement of drugs used in Ohio’s execution protocol.
A statement from the governor’s office clarified that the reprieve was necessary because of persistent challenges in obtaining the required drugs from pharmaceutical suppliers. These difficulties have raised concerns over the safety and well-being of Ohioans, prompting the postponement of Coley’s execution and others in similar situations.
Governor DeWine’s administration has faced scrutiny in recent years over the state’s death penalty practices, especially given the broader issues surrounding the availability of lethal injection drugs. Several states have struggled to secure supplies of the drugs, with pharmaceutical companies increasingly unwilling to provide them due to ethical concerns.
The reprieve reflects a continued tension between maintaining the death penalty in Ohio and navigating the complex and evolving challenges associated with carrying out executions. As the state grapples with these issues, Coley’s case serves as the latest example of the evolving nature of capital punishment protocols in Ohio.