SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A condemned inmate who was scheduled to be executed next month is slamming Gov. John Kitzhaber for giving him a reprieve.
Two-time murderer Gary Haugen had voluntarily given up his legal challenges, saying he wants to be executed in protest of a criminal justice system he views as broken. But Kitzhaber on Tuesday granted Haugen a reprieve, saying he won’t allow anyone to be executed while he is in office.
In a telephone interview with the Statesman Journal of Salem (http://stjr.nl/tSY0qo), Haugen says Kitzhaber didn’t have the guts to carry out the lethal injection. He also criticizes the governor for waiting for the legal process to play out before going public with his decision.
In an earlier interview with The Oregonian, Haugen praised Kitzhaber’s action.
