Ricky Gray's lawyers say his execution may have violated the Constitution

GREENSVILLE -- The lawyers for Ricky Gray said there is “grave concern” that the procedure used to execute him Wednesday night violated the U.S. Constitution by causing him pain and suffering.

The curtain that hid Gray from view while IVs were inserted in his arms was closed for 33 minutes – far longer than in a typical execution, the lawyers said in a statement Thursday. Gray was healthy and there was no reason for the delay, they said.

The Virginia Department of Corrections “has been able to provide no plausible explanation for failure to insert the IV for such a delayed period of time. Mr. Gray had reported to us that VDOC staff examined his body, particularly inspecting his veins, multiple times over the days leading up to the execution,” the statement reads.

Lisa Kinney, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman, confirmed that the delay in opening the curtain was due to trouble finding a veinand said the execution was conducted under the established protocol.

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