About the Department of Corrections’ Task Force

Electra Bustle

On December 13, 2006, Angel Diaz, convicted and sentenced for the crime of first degree murder, was executed by means of lethal injection, as provided by chapter 922, Florida Statutes.

On the morning of December 14, 2006, in response to concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the execution, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections, in consultation with the Office of the Governor, formed an investigatory task force to look into the events of the execution (hereinafter “Task Force.”) The Secretary appointed two members of the Department, Maximillian J. Changus, Assistant General Counsel and George B. Sapp, Assistant Secretary for Institutions who had familiarity with the execution process and two members not affiliated with the Department, Electra Bustle, Assistant Commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Bonita J. Sorensen, M.D., Deputy State Health Officer for the Department of Health.

The described objective was to immediately conduct interviews with personnel involved with the execution process as carried out on the day in question, analyze the collected observations to determine if there were deviations from the written procedure, and prepare a prompt report.