Lethal Injection to Proceed: Utah Judge Rejects Death Row Inmate’s Appeal Over 1999 Sexual Assault, Murder of Girlfriend’s Mother

Utah Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice John Pearce has rejected the "extraordinary relief" petition filed by death row inmate Taberon Honie, who is on track to be executed by lethal injection in August.

Knewz.com has learned that Honie's death warrant was signed by a Cedar City judge in June.

The death row inmate challenged his death sentence in an "extraordinary relief" petition where he raised concerns about the district court's ruling and argued against the death penalty .

However, Associate Chief Justice Pearce responded by saying that Honie's appeal failed to demonstrate that the district court "abused its discretion" when the death warrant was issued.

The Utah Supreme Court also stated that case law "does not permit a defendant to employ a challenge to the issuance of a death warrant to raise constitutional arguments concerning the death penalty," according to the local news outlet Fox 13 , which viewed the court order from Justice Pearce.

Honie was on death row for the 1998 murder of 49-year-old Claudia Benn, his ex-girlfriend's mother.

The then 22-year-old broke into Benn's home when she was with her daughter and three grandchildren, and slashed the victim's throat four times. Police arrived at the scene to find Honie covered in blood, according to court documents cited by The Associated Press .

The Utah news outlet ABC4 reported that Honie had also sexually assaulted Benn in front of her grandchildren before murdering her.

He was convicted of aggravated murder in 1999, in addition to object rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual assault , burglary, and aggravated burglary.

A Utah district court judge determined in June that the death row inmate will be executed by lethal injection on August 8, amidst concerns regarding a novel "cocktail" of chemicals that will be used to put him to death.

Utah Department of Corrections spokesperson Glen Mills told The Associated Press that the state has proposed the use of the sedative ketamine in the lethal injection—along with the previously used pain reliever fentanyl and the heart-stopping drug potassium chloride.

Mills explained that, to his knowledge, Honie might be the first person whose lethal injection is to use ketamine in the drug mix. He also mentioned that Honie's execution will be the first one since the firing squad execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010.

Eric Zuckerman, Honie's attorney, said in a statement regarding the proposed usage of this new drug, "The state has not provided any details about this novel procedure, including the drug doses. And the state says it will not revise its written procedures, making it the only jurisdiction to move forward with an execution without accurate written procedures."

It is worth noting that while the Utah Supreme Court has denied the death row inmate's "extraordinary relief" appeal, the Utah Board of Pardons & Parole has granted a commutation hearing to Honie, wherein he can appeal to have his death penalty changed to life imprisonment.

The hearing is scheduled for July 22 and can last for a couple of days.

At the hearing, Honie will present testimony and arguments to the Board in favor of having his death sentence knocked down to life in prison while the Utah Attorney General's Office argues in favor of his execution.

"This pivotal step underscores the Board’s commitment to fairness, justice, and integrity within Utah’s criminal justice system," Jennifer Yim, administrative director at the Board, said in a statement via Fox 13.

As Utah prepares to carry out Honie's death penalty, on the other side of the United States, Indiana is seeking to carry out its first execution since 2009.

Eric Holcomb, the Republican governor of Indiana, released a statement regarding the proposed execution of Joseph Corcoran, a man convicted of quadruple homicide , saying that "after years of effort," the state's Department of Correction has acquired the drug Pentobarbital used in lethal injections.

"Accordingly, I am fulfilling my duties as governor to follow the law and move forward appropriately in this matter," Governor Holcomb said in the statement.

Attorney General Todd Rokita, who filed a motion to the Supreme Court on June 26 requesting a date for the execution, also made a statement regarding the matter:

"In Indiana, state law authorizes the death penalty as a means of providing justice for victims of society’s most heinous crimes and holding perpetrators accountable… Further, it serves as an effective deterrent for certain potential offenders who might otherwise commit similar extreme crimes of violence."