Missouri is one of several states that are buying their drugs for executions in secret.

Last year, St. Louis Public Radio reporters Chris McDaniel and Véronique LaCapra uncovered the identity of the state’s then-supplier, a pharmacy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that wasn’t licensed to sell drugs in Missouri. They also found that a top corrections official paid the pharmacy in cash – $11,000 per execution.

Since the initial investigation, the state has become even more secretive. McDaniel has sued the state for withholding records.

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  • Learn more on St. Louis Public Radio’s website.

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Sam Ward is a former senior digital producer for Reveal, where he oversees the web team. He has years of experience producing creative digital media projects for Oregon Public Broadcasting, PBS, ITVS and the Smithsonian, and he has managed projects for funders such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education and Annenberg Media. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Ward is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.