Morbidly Obese Man Spared From Death Row

As it turns out, he wasn’t #TooFatToDie.

Image by Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections, File / AP

This is Ronald Post. In 1983, he was found guilty in the murder of motel clerk Helen Vantz. He was supposed to die on Jan. 16, 2013.

But on Monday, Post was spared by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who decided Post had poor legal representation during his initial trial, the Associated Press reports.

Post’s case gained notoriety after his new legal team had argued his death would be cruel and unusual punishment. Post is between 450 and 480 pounds — a weight that his attorneys reportedly argued would amount to “a torturous and lingering death” if Post was subjected to lethal injection. (If executioners couldn’t find a vein, they’d have to inject the drugs straight into Post’s muscle.)

The parole board’s recommendation to the Governor apparently came after a 5-3 vote. Post will now serve life in prison.

Here, 540 pounds of weights test how much the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility’s execution table can hold.

Image by Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections / AP

Correction: This article has been updated from its previous version to reflect an update from the AP: Post’s weight was not considered in the Governor’s decision.