Annals of Criminal Motives

Larry reads the NY Times so we don't have to (link):

LUCASVILLE, Ohio, May 24 (AP) — An overweight inmate was executed by injection on Thursday after a delay of about 90 minutes while prison medical workers struggled to find suitable veins in his arms. ...

Mr. Newton, 37, who was sentenced to death in the 2001 beating and choking death of a cellmate, Jason Brewer, continued to talk and smile even when strapped to the execution table at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. ...

Mr. Newton refused to cooperate with officials investigating Mr. Brewer’s death unless they sought the death penalty against him, court documents said.

In an interview with reporters last month, Mr. Newton said he had killed Mr. Brewer, 27, because he repeatedly gave up when they were playing chess.