Ohio said Friday it was denying a condemned child killer's request to donate organs to his family members, saying he didn't have enough time to undergo the surgery and recuperate for his summer execution, according to Reuters.
Organ donation surgery would have to have been completed by this coming Sunday to give the death row inmate, Ronald Phillips, enough time to recover before the July 2 execution, but Phillips had not shown he was anywhere close that happening, according to letters from state prison officials to Phillips' attorney, Reuters reported.
The prison system rejected his request, but Gov. John Kasich delayed the execution until July 2 to give the state time to see whether it was possible to comply, according to Reuters. Phillips was sentenced to die for the rape and death of Sheila Marie Evans, his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter, in Akron in 1993.
The state "fully intends" to carry out Phillips' execution, Stephen Gray, the prison system's chief counsel, wrote to defense attorney Timothy Sweeney, according to Reuters. Sweeney declined to comment.
The state said Phillips is no different than any other inmate, meaning the state has an obligation to make sure he is healthy, despite the fact he will then be put to death, Reuters reported.
"Anyone who's undergone surgery, it's humane to have time to heal," said Ricky Seyfang, a spokeswoman for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, according to Reuters.
The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction warned Phillips about the Sunday deadline in a letter two months ago, according to documents released by the state, Reuters reported.
"Only a little progress has been made by your client and his mother to move forward with this process," Gray wrote, according to Reuters.
Phillips, 40, was out of appeals in November when he made a last-minute request to donate the organs, including a kidney to his mother, who is on dialysis, and possibly his heart to his sister, Reuters reported.
