Utah man scheduled for execution has his last meal. Here’s what’s next

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL.com) — Taberon Dave Honie has been gathering pinch family members for astir of nan time arsenic he prepares for his execution by lethal injection conscionable aft midnight.

Honie was moved from his regular situation compartment to an study compartment adjacent to nan execution enclosure sometime astir 6:10 a.m. connected Wednesday, according to corrections officials. He past slept until astir 8:15 a.m. and ate a meal sandwich conscionable aft 8:30 a.m., said corrections spokesperson Glen Mills.

Since astir 10 a.m., Honie has had respective visits from family members, 2 astatine a clip for information purposes, starting pinch his mother and father. He has besides met pinch his daughter, 3 sisters, 2 cousins, a brother-in-law and an aunt, Mills said. Honie and his visitors are separated by a window. Other visits person been pinch nan prison guard astatine nan situation arsenic good arsenic 4 checkups by intelligence wellness workers. His temper has been described by corrections labor arsenic “gracious and appreciative” passim nan day.

Honie said connected nan telephone pinch a belief advisor from nan Hopi Reservation and mostly said prayers, Mill said.

Family visits will extremity astatine 9 p.m. From 9 p.m. until 10 p.m., Honie will beryllium allowed to meet pinch a belief advisor and his attorneys. At immoderate constituent betwixt 11:30 p.m. and midnight, he will beryllium moved from nan study room to nan execution chamber.

The last repast that he requested — a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake — was delivered astir 4:30 p.m. However, Mills said Honie wanted administrators to convey to nan nationalist that he considered his last repast was 1 he had precocious pinch his family astatine nan prison.

Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Brian Redd thanked members of nan media for being coming Wednesday day and said he wants his section to beryllium “known arsenic a transparent and accountable organization.” He discussed nan challenges of mounting up a free reside area during nan execution that balances situation information and nan authorities of group to definitive their opinions. One of nan challenges, he said, is that astir of nan onshore surrounding nan situation is backstage spot and location are fewer roads starring successful and retired to nan prison.

Honie, who has been connected decease statement since 1999, was convicted of brutally sidesplitting his ex-girlfriend’s mother, 49-year-old Claudia Marie Benn, successful beforehand of her 3 granddaughters connected July 9, 1998, successful Cedar City.

It will beryllium nan first execution astatine nan caller Utah State Correctional Facility, which officially opened successful July 2022, and nan first successful nan authorities successful 14 years.

The situation was placed connected lockdown successful mentation for nan execution astatine 6 a.m. connected Wednesday and will stay locked down until 6 a.m. Thursday. Roadblocks person been group up connected each roads starring into nan facility, located westbound of nan Salt Lake City International Airport.

The Department of Corrections is scheduled to springiness hourly updates starting astatine 5:30 p.m. lasting until astir 10:30 p.m., past 1 much aft nan execution is done.

“We really want to put an accent connected making judge we do this effectively, humanely and professionally,” Mills said during nan 6:30 p.m. update, while adding nan unit will person a last “run through” of what to expect coming astatine 7 p.m., connected apical of nan 7 they person already conducted. A “run through” includes practicing moving a personification who is astir nan aforesaid tallness and weight into nan execution enclosure and inserting a needle into his arm, some arsenic a consenting subordinate and pinch resistance, Mills said.

Mills admits location has been a different emotion among officers and unit members astatine nan situation this week knowing nan execution was approaching.

“It’s not thing that anyone who’s progressive pinch this looks guardant to aliases takes joyousness in, successful immoderate means. However, we each spot that arsenic a responsibly of ours successful nan department, and we return it seriously, and we intend to transportation it retired successful a caring and master manner,” he said.

The execution enclosure is 24 feet by 38 feet. There are abstracted witnesser rooms, some pinch reflective solid to protect nan personality of witnesses. The windows are besides bulletproof “to protect nan witnesses from unintended ricochet, if firing squad is used,” according to nan department. Honie is group to dice by lethal injection.

Taberon Dave Honie is scheduled to beryllium executed by lethal injection successful this enclosure astatine nan Utah State Correctional Facility conscionable aft midnight Thursday morning. It will beryllium nan first clip nan execution enclosure astatine nan caller situation has been used. | Utah Department of Corrections

After Honie is strapped to a gurney successful nan room, 2 group will participate and insert an IV. Those 2 will past time off nan room and 2 different group will do nan injection. Those group will beryllium successful a abstracted room and will not beryllium seen by immoderate witnesses aliases Honie successful bid to protect their identities.

The 2 group chosen are “trained successful accordance pinch accepted aesculapian practices to administer intravenous injections, who shall each administer a continuous intravenous injection, 1 of which shall beryllium of a lethal amount of sodium thiopental aliases different arsenic aliases much effective constituent capable to origin death. Based connected nan proposal of aesculapian professionals, nan supplier being utilized will beryllium pentobarbital,” according to nan Utah Department of Corrections.

Neither of nan 2 group will beryllium told which 1 has nan lethal dose.

Before nan lethal injection begins, Honie will beryllium fixed nan opportunity arsenic he is strapped to nan gurney to speak immoderate past words. After nan injection, a expert will beryllium brought into nan enclosure to corroborate his death.

While not revealing their identities, corrections officials opportunity those participating successful nan lethal injection are not members of nan Department of Health and Human Services aliases nan Division of Correctional Health Services.

Honie tin take up to 5 group who are either a belief representative, a friend aliases a comparative to witnesser his execution. Mills says Honie has picked 4 family members and his attorney. The identities of nan family members are expected to beryllium revealed aft nan execution. Up to 5 members of nan victim’s family whitethorn beryllium besides witnesses. Seven members of nan media, each from Utah, person been selected to beryllium witnesses, including KSL.com.

Other witnesses will see rule enforcers from Iron County, a prosecuting lawyer from Iron County, a typical from nan Utah Attorney General’s Office and up to 3 corrections officials.

After he is dead, Honie’s assemblage will beryllium turned complete to nan Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office. Once their appraisal is completed, Honie’s remains will beryllium dealt pinch based connected his wishes, but those wishes person not yet been disclosed.