DeWine grants 2nd reprieve to death-row inmate who killed LCI cellmate

New execution dates also were scheduled for two others on Ohio Death Row.

The execution of a death-row inmate originally sentenced to die more than 20 years ago in Warren County has been delayed again.

On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued another reprieve for James Galen Hanna, who was scheduled to be executed on July 16, 2020. The new date of execution has been moved to May 18, 2022.

RELATED: Lack of lethal drugs means reprieve for man who killed cellmate at Lebanon Correctional Institution

In 1998, Hanna originally was sentenced to die for murdering cellmate, Peter Copas, 43.

James Galen Hanna OHIO DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION & CORRECTION

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Hanna drove a sharpened paintbrush through Copas’ eye and bludgeoned him with a sock containing a padlock in 1997 at Lebanon Correctional Institution.

Copas died nearly three weeks later.

Hanna was in the prison outside Lebanon, serving a life sentence for the 1977 stabbing death of a Toledo convenience store clerk. He bragged of the killing in a letter to another inmate.

Dewine also issued a reprieve for Hanna in November.

Gov. DeWine issues reprieves to 3 more killers on Ohio Death Row

Also Tuesday, DeWine issued reprieves of execution for :

• Romell Broom, who was scheduled to be executed on June 17, 2020. The new date of execution has been moved to March 16, 2022.

• Douglas Coley, who was scheduled to be executed on August 12, 2020. The new date of execution has been moved to July 20, 2022.

“Governor DeWine is issuing these reprieves due to ongoing problems involving the willingness of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide drugs to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, pursuant to DRC protocol, without endangering other Ohioans,” according to a press release issued by the governor’s office.

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