Killer told he can't donate organs before execution

Ronald Phillips wants his family to benefit

Prison workers say this was something they had never encountered.

Before Ronald Phillips is put to death Thursday for killing his girlfriend’s three year old daughter in 1993, he wants to donate his organs to members of his family.

"He would like that one or both of his kidneys, if a match, go to his mother who is suffering from kidney disease and on dialysis, and for his heart to go to his sister, who has a heart condition," ABC news reports.

First, Phillips didn’t make the request until this week. Officials say that isn’t enough time to both consider and plan such a procedure.

The Ohio prison system said no and gave their reasons.

Secondly, there was a concern over security and transporting Phillips to a hospital capable of carrying out the surgery.

Phillips family has been told they are welcome to the organs after the execution but with an untested mix of drugs being used and no guarantee of their viability it’s doubted they could be used.

More here.