London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 27, 2026

Ohio inmate who survived execution attempt dies in prison of probable Covid-19

Ohio inmate who survived execution attempt dies in prison of probable Covid-19

In 2009, executioners tried and failed 18 times to find a vein on Romell Broom while attempting to administer a lethal injection.
A condemned Ohio inmate, who survived an executioner's needle more than a decade ago, has died — probably from complications of Covid-19, officials said Wednesday.

Romell Broom, a 64-year-old convicted murderer, passed away on Monday at Franklin Medical Center, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokeswoman Sara French.

The state of Ohio says at least 124 inmates have died from confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus, as it continues to ravage the nation.

"As of today, his death is considered a probable Covid-19 related death, pending his death certificate," French said in a statement.

Back in Sept. 15, 2009, Broom, then 53, was set to be put to death, but executioners couldn't find a suitable vein that could be used for his lethal injection.

The execution was finally put off after Broom was stuck by needles 18 times over two hours.

He was set again for execution on March 16, 2022.

"We are sorry that he is gone and sorry that he lived his last days on death row," Broom's lawyer Adele Shank said in a statement on behalf of her and the inmate's other attorney, Tim Sweeney.

"Due to a painful and traumatic botched execution procedure, Broom survived that day only to live with the ever-increasing fear and distress that the same process would be used on him at his next execution date."

They added: "Let his passing in this way, and not in the execution chamber, be the final word on whether a second attempt should ever have been considered."

Broom was convicted for the 1984 murder and rape of Tryna Middleton, 14, who was kidnapped as she walked home from a football game with two friends.

Ohio is currently working under a de facto moratorium against capital punishment as the state is unable to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection. Gov. Mike DeWine has said lawmakers must find a new execution method.

A handful of prisoners have survived executions.

Willie Francis, 17, was supposed to be put to death in Louisiana on May 3, 1946 but the electric chair was improperly set up, sending painful — but not fatal — currents through this body. Executors tried again on May 9, 1947, and the 18-year-old was killed.

Ohio executioners failed to kill Alva Campbell on Nov. 15, 2017 when they couldn't find a suitable vein. The 69-year-old, who had smoked for decades and suffered from a host of health issues, died in custody less than four months later.

Doyle Lee Hamm had more than a dozen puncture marks jabbed into his legs and groin during a failed execution on Feb. 22, 2018. He remains in custody at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Andy Burnham Drops Plan to Cap Political Donations
Conservative Leadership Contest Intensifies as Robert Jenrick Attacks Kemi Badenoch
French-Born Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Condemns Homophobic Abuse Since Taking Office
UK Government Delays Commercial Robotaxi Rollout in London Over Regulatory Gaps
NHS Complaints About Autism and ADHD Care Waiting Times Triple Over Five Years
UK Government Launches 10,000 Work Placements for Young People With Sainsbury's
NHS England to Offer Free At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Kits
EU Biometric Border Checks Cause Delays of Up to Five Hours for British Travellers
US Imposes Economic Sanctions on UK-Based Protest Group Palestine Action
Two Planned UK Datacentres Could Produce More Annual Carbon Emissions Than ExxonMobil's Entire UK Operation
London Surgeons Complete First Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Brain Tumour Removal
UK Services Growth Rebounds as Consumer Confidence Reaches Two-Year High
Ofgem Confirms Four Percent October Energy Price Cap Increase for UK Households
Government Considers Insolvency Law Changes to Bring Thames Water Into Public Ownership
Andy Burnham Signs Artificial Intelligence Defence Pact During Visit to Kyiv
Church of England Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Historical Safeguarding Failures
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Telephone Queues
Greater Manchester Secures More Than £100 Million to Upgrade Victorian Railway Stations
East Midlands Railway Urges Essential Travel Ahead of Bank Holiday Strikes
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Global and Energy Pressures Weigh
UK Government and Sainsbury’s Launch Plan for 10,000 Youth Work Experience Placements
Scottish Government Plans Tighter Remote-Working Rules and Possible Voluntary Redundancies
Scottish Budget Faces More Than £700 Million Reduction After Tax Revenue Adjustment
Nearly 100 Labour MPs Press Andy Burnham to Back Electoral Reform Commission
UK Energy Price Cap Rises Four Percent to £1,723 as Middle East Conflict Drives Wholesale Gas Costs
Turnbull Warns AUKUS Could Leave Australia Without Promised Nuclear Submarines
California Billionaires Pour More Than $150 Million Into Fight Over Proposed Wealth Tax
German Broadcaster Goes Dark to Warn AfD Could End Its Saxony-Anhalt Service
Badenoch Plans Major Shadow Cabinet Reshuffle as Tories Struggle in Third Place
UK Government Demands Action Against Social Media Content Promoting Dangerous Driving
Labour Backbenchers Prepare Push for Electoral Reform Under Andy Burnham
Fire at Gatwick Airport Car Park Destroys 140 Vehicles and Cuts Local Power
UK Plans Voluntary Libido-Suppressing Medication Programme Across 20 Prisons
NHS England Launches Free Home Cervical Cancer Testing Kits Nationwide
Imperial College Study Warns North Sea Oil Projects Could Cause Hundreds of Billions of Pounds in Climate Damage
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Middle East Conflict Pushes Up Energy Costs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv to Strengthen UK Support for Ukraine
Premier League Season Opens With Managerial Debuts and Dramatic Early Fixtures
England Cricket Drops Brydon Carse From Selection Pending Club Investigation
Graeme Dott Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse Offences in Scotland
Protesters Occupy British Aircraft Parts Factory Over Alleged Military Links to Israel
More Than 100 Former British and French Diplomats Call for Sanctions on Israel
Ipsos Poll Shows British Public Split Between Immigration Controls and Economic Growth
British Cybersecurity Agencies Raise Alert Over Growing Threats to Critical Infrastructure
Two-Thirds of England Now Under Official Drought Conditions After Prolonged Summer Heat
Institute of Directors Calls for Urgent Action to Revive Britain’s Stagnant Labour Market
Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv on First Foreign Trip and Pledges Continued British Support for Ukraine
New Daily Diabetes and Weight-Loss Pill Launches in UK Pharmacies
UK Payroll Employment Falls by 94,000 as Labour Market Cools
Onshore Wind Planning Applications in England Reach Ten-Year High After Rules Eased
×