A former Florida State Prison warden has revealed the horrific details of a botched execution in 1997 that left the inmate's head engulfed in flames, effectively burning him alive. Ron McAndrew, who served as warden at the time, described the death of Pedro Medina as one of the most harrowing execution failures in American history.
Execution Gone Wrong
On March 27, 1997, Medina was strapped into the electric chair known as 'Old Sparky' at Florida State Prison, about 47 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The chair malfunctioned, sending 2,000 volts of electricity through his body and causing vivid blue and orange flames to erupt from the side of his head. 'We didn't execute him – we burned him alive,' McAndrew said, now an 87-year-old campaigner against capital punishment.
McAndrew told the Daily Mail that Medina's body twisted as he fought the straps, and it was obvious he was still alive when his head caught fire. 'His body was twisting, and he was fighting the straps. It was obvious he was still alive when his head was on fire. It was a horrible way to kill somebody.' The flames took four minutes to claim his life.
Medina's Final Words
As Medina thrashed violently and clenched his fists, he uttered his final words: 'I am still innocent.' He was 39 years old at the time. Medina had been convicted of murdering an elementary school teacher who lived next door to him in 1982. A court found he stabbed her repeatedly and left her to bleed out in her Orlando apartment before fleeing in her car. Officers later discovered Medina behind the wheel of the victim's vehicle.
McAndrew has consistently maintained that no crime, including a brutal murder and grand theft auto, could justify the agony inflicted upon Medina. The smell of his remains lingered for weeks after the execution, according to the former warden.
'Old Sparky' Decommissioned
The faulty electric chair, first used in 1923, had previously executed 239 other inmates, including notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Medina's death was the 240th and final execution carried out by 'Old Sparky,' which was decommissioned afterward. McAndrew now campaigns vigorously against the death penalty, pushing for its eradication.
