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ST. LOUIS — Despite a shortage of lethal-injection drugs, two of the nation’s most active death penalty states have carried on with executions by turning to pentobarbital, a powerful sedative that generally puts inmates to death swiftly and without complication.
Missouri and Texas have avoided prolonged executions seen in other states where authorities are struggling to find a reliable chemical combination. Pentobarbital’s effectiveness raises questions about why it has not been adopted more widely.
Texas and Missouri administer a single large dose of pentobarbital, which often is used to euthanize animals.
