Bill Breeden, a former spiritual advisor to death row inmates, shared his most harrowing experience from his time on the job. He witnessed the execution of Corey Johnson in 2021, who had been in solitary confinement for nearly 30 years for the murders of seven people. Recalling the moment Johnson died, Breeden described the scene as “grotesque” when the victims’ families cheered loudly, while Johnson’s own family, who hadn’t seen him in decades, expressed their anguish.
Breeden, now 74, recounted how Johnson, despite his past, was known as a “gentle giant” among inmates. His execution left a lasting impact on Breeden, who questioned why anyone should be made to witness such an event. Another former prison worker, Ron McAndrew, shared his own traumatic experience from overseeing executions in the 1990s. He recalled a botched electrocution in which inmate Pedro Medina’s head caught fire, an event that left him deeply scarred and struggling with nightmares and heavy drinking.
Both men’s stories highlight the emotional toll on those involved in the execution process, bringing into question the human cost of carrying out the death penalty.
