Scotty Gardner wants out of “his cave” at the Varner SuperMax Prison south of Grady, Arkansas.

In messages with USA TODAY, he described the conditions of his cell as, “a walk-in closet with a shower, toilet, a sink and drain in the floor that bugs crawl in and out constantly.” He also mentioned recurring issues with black mold and toilets that constantly overflow.

To get out, Gardner is asking the state to be the first inmate executed since 2017.

His request is on hold as 10 death row inmates filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of nitrogen hypoxia as a means of execution, which the state’s legislature authorized earlier this year and went into effect Aug. 5.

Arkansas has not seen an execution since then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson ordered eight exe­cu­tions to be car­ried out in four

See Full Page