Thread by @LilianaSegura

Greetings from the parking lot of the FCC Terre Haute Training Center, where I’m sitting in my car while we wait for word on whether the execution of Daniel Lee, originally scheduled for 4pm, will go forward. Why my car you ask?

Good question! Unlike prison officials in say, Oklahoma or Arkansas, where I have previously covered executions, the federal government has not set up a media center on site for press who are here but who have not been selected to witness.

Instead, we were told to report to this small white building north of the prison complex on Route 63 between 2-2:45pm. Masks would be required, and our temperatures would be checked. No further details were given.

At the door, a woman in a face shield checked my name & told me to fill out a form. Confusingly, it was the kind used when you're a visitor, listing banned items--recording devices, electronics, phones, shit reporters carry. I was told no worries, just check off the items I have.

Spokesperson Jenna Epplin spoke briefly. Our credentials allow us access to designated areas outside, which could make good backdrops for photos, she said. No demonstrators showed up (more on that later) but we were free to go to the field where they would’ve been standing. Cool.

I asked where we should be in order to receive updates from BOP on the status of the execution. The BOP is not providing updates, she said. A guy asked if there would be a press conference later. Yes, she said, but only for media witnesses. Not for us. Even though we're press. 🤔

So what is the point of being here at the prison in Terre Haute with pre-approved press credentials if you are not witnessing? None, apparently, save for some shots of empty fields.

Throughout all this, the media witnesses were in a separate room. Around 2:45pm they were picked up in a white van. I asked how media witnesses were chosen but could not get an answer. One lady said to email [e-mail]. I have done this before, repeatedly. No answer.

So, not surprisingly, the parking lot had mostly emptied out by 4-4:30pm. A photographer I know went to get some prison/field shots and then left to attend a protest off site organized by @DeathPenaltyAct, which is where most reporters ended up.

I’ve always found execution press rooms uncomfortable, bc the info you get is basically propaganda. But they do serve a purpose, especially when witnesses share what they saw w/ other press afterward. Especially important when it comes to lethal injection. That won't happen here.

As we continue to wait to find out Daniel Lee's fate, I'm grateful for the media witnesses who are tweeting & sharing a glimpse into this maddening process. As anyone who has covered the BOP during Covid can attest, this is not an agency that believes in transparency. More later.

Good morning from Terre Haute, where the BOP spokesperson just told me that I’m welcome to return to the prison to take photos (of empty fields) but would not answer questions about the state of things. “Email me.” I asked if the execution is moving forward & she hung up on me.

Daniel Lee was pronounced dead shortly after 8AM. I pulled up at the training center just as media witnesses were getting out, some leaving premises. When I tried to enter the room where other press witnesses were, I was told I was not allowed in. There was no press conference.

I spoke to a couple reporters briefly in the parking lot. I’ll let their coverage speak for itself. A number of them are supposed to witness 2 more executions this week. This whole ordeal has been twisted and surreal for all involved. And cruel. Even by death penalty standards.