Florida uses untested drug to execute double murderer

The US state of Florida has used a new drug cocktail to lethally inject a white supremacist.

53-year-old Mark Asay is the first white man in the state’s history to be executed for killing a black victim. He was also convicted in 1987 of murdering a white-Hispanic man.

A jury found that Asay shot his victims – Robert Lee Booker and Robert McDowell, 26, on the same night after making racist comments.

NOW on CBS12</a> | Witnessing the execution of Mark James Asay: <a href="https://t.co/01DqUtVLlb">https://t.co/01DqUtVLlb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS12">CBS12pic.twitter.com/4xCcl2OkbI

— Greg Angel (@NewsGuyGreg) August 25, 2017

It’s the first time etomidate has been used to carry out a death sentence. It replaces midazolam, a drug feared to have caused suffering in several botched executions.

The execution of Mark Asay took place at 6:22pm. Officials say the new drug etomidate didn’t provide any problems. #Fox35pic.twitter.com/COvUA7Qpbx

— Kirstin Delgado (@Fox35Kirstin) August 24, 2017