AP reporter's account of Arizona execution
Wood then uttered his final words, smiled at the victim’s family members and made eye contact with a deacon. Just after declaring that he was at peace with his death, he smiled at the deacon, but for a second, a subtle look of panic took over his face.
Officials administered the lethal drugs at 1:52 p.m. Wood’s eyes closed.
About 10 minutes later, the gasping began.
Wood’s jaw dropped, his chest expanded, and he let out a gasp. The gasps repeated every five to 12 seconds. They went on and on, hundreds of times. An administrator checked on him a half-dozen times. He could be heard snoring loudly when an administrator turned on a microphone to inform the gallery that Wood was still sedated, despite the audible sounds.
Wood died at 3:37, an hour and 57 minutes after the execution process began.