This morning, convicted murderer Kenneth Biros became the first person executed in the United States using an overdose of thiopental sodium rather than the typical three-drug cocktail. Despite objections that the new procedure could take more than twice as long to kill, it took just ten minutes, according to the local news site Vindy.com.

In the traditional procedure, officials first inject the sedative thiopental sodium, followed by a muscle relaxant, and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart. Critics have challenged the method as “cruel and unusual punishment” because it can cause extreme pain if the sedative is not properly administered, and the medical community has long objected to taking part in any form of execution (Nature).

Although the Supreme Court upheld the procedure’s constitutionality last year, Ohio became the first state to abandon it after a botched execution last month in which prison staff were unable to identify an appropriate vein. (The Guardian)

However, because the single injection method is untested, it has found its critics as well. Biros’ lawyers called it human experimentation and experts noted that a single injection could take 15 to 30 minutes for the heart to stop beating compared to 7 using the three-drug cocktail. (The Telegraph)

In the end, the court didn’t buy the argument from Biros’ lawyers, and he was executed at 11:47 am. (New York Times)