Virginia DOC says execution audio tapes should remain secret

By DENISE LAVOIE and SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Department of Corrections has recorded audio of at least 30 executions over the last three decades, but it has no plans to release the tapes publicly. The department rejected an Associated Press request under the state’s public records law to release the recordings after NPR obtained and reported on four of them. They offer a rare glimpse into executions, which are normally only witnessed by a select few, including prison officials, victims, family members, journalists and spiritual advisors. Several death penalty experts say the four recordings in Virginia and another 23 Georgia execution tapes released two decades ago are believed to be the only publicly available recordings of executions in the U.S.