Ohio spares man who is too fat to die

An obese death row inmate was spared from execution Monday by Ohio's governor, who said the prisoner had not received an adequate legal defense.

Ronald Post, 53, weighs more than 480 pounds (220 kilograms). His lawyers had filed a motion arguing that lethal injection would be "torturous and lingering" due to his weight -- the injection might not kill him, they argued, or could take up to 16 hours to take effect.

Post was convicted of murdering a hotel clerk during an armed robbery.

However, Ohio Governor John Kasich did not mention weight when he announced that Post would not be executed as scheduled on January 16.

"Regardless of the heinous nature of their crime, a criminal defendant is entitled to an effective defense, especially in a death penalty case," Kasich said in a statement.

"The Parole Board's conclusion is that Ronald Post did not come close to receiving such a defense. After my own careful review, I agree."

Kasich, however, did not pardon Post or call for a retrial.

"Therefore, I am ordering that he spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of ever getting out. This decision should not be viewed by anyone as diminishing this awful crime or the pain it has caused," Kasich said.