Drugs identified for possible lethal injection of death row inmate Taberone Honie

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Department of Corrections has arranged to obtain the three-drug combination needed for the possible execution of death row inmate Taberon Dave Honie.

In a court filing, the UDC revealed the names of three specific drugs it would use if Honie were executed by lethal injection: ketamine, fentanyl and potassium chloride. Ketamine would serve as an anesthetic, fentanyl would relieve pain, and potassium chloride would stop the heart.

Medication choices are based on the recommendation of medical professionals to comply with Utah state law requiring the use of a lethal amount of sodium thiopental or an equivalent or more potent medication. .

A hearing has been set for June 10, 2024, at which a judge will review the Utah Attorney General's request for an execution warrant.

Honie was convicted on May 18, 1999, of the aggravated murder of Claudia Benn. According to court documents, Honie committed the murder while also attempting to commit object rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual assault, burglary, aggravated burglary and aggravated child sexual abuse. The jury in the case found Honie guilty of the first five of those additional counts, but could not reach unanimity on the aggravated child sexual abuse charge.

Honie used a rock to smash a glass patio door before slitting Benn's throat four times and cutting it with a kitchen knife. He was also convicted of biting and sexually assaulting her. Three children were in the house at the time of the murder.

Fifth District Judge Rober Braithwaite said at the time, “This is not a sentence I imposed on the defendant; he deserved it. If this isn't a death penalty case, I don't know what is.

Sweetheart officially exhausted all available remedies earlier this year. State prosecutors said in their request for the death warrant that absent other possible challenges, there was no reason for the state to continue to stay his execution.

Honie could also be executed by firing squad, with Utah being one of four US states that still allows executions by firing squad. Since 2015, Utah has made lethal injection the state's primary method of execution, but retained the firing squad as a backup method if the drugs needed for lethal injection were not available .

Honie, along with four other death row inmates, attempted to overturn the state's death penalty last year, arguing that the firing squad was “cruel and unusual punishment.” Utah's 3rd District Court dismissed the lawsuit in December 2023.