[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA, FLA., IND., TENN.

[Rick Halperin]

April 29



USA:

Thousands await executions in U.S. prisons


Ryan Dickson was killed on Thursday by the State of Texas.

The 30 year old double-murderer was put to death by lethal injection in
the state's 13th execution this year.

Texas currently has 385 prisoners on death row, 10 of which are female.
The clearance rate is just as high. 5 inmates were put to death last
month. 8 will be executed in the next 90 days, 2 in May, 4 in June, and 2
in July.

Dickson was 18 at the time of his offence, and had been on Death Row for
ten years. He and his 15 year old step brother robbed a grocery store
owned by a couple in their sixties in Amarillo in November 1994. They were
confronted by the store owner, who was 61. Dickson brought a sawed-off
22-caliber rifle from under his coat and shot the owner in the chest. He
then shot the man's wife, 60, in the face notwithstanding she had all the
money from the cash register on to the counter for the robbers to take.
For their efforts the Dicksons netted $52 in cash and some beer.

On Thursday, nearly 13 years later he was injected with sodium thiopental
to sedate him; pancuronium bromide to relax his muscles and to collapse
his diaphragm and lungs; and potassium chloride to stop his heart beat. It
took seven minutes for him to die. The cost for the drugs injected:
$86.08.

Three people died for $52, and it cost $86.08 to kill the one who murdered
the other 2.

Death Row detainees are allowed a last statement prior to their execution.
Dickson apologized to his victims and said goodbye to his family.

Many of the last statements are similar, some however are chilling as
detainees maintain their innocence or vent their fury at their keepers at
the prison.

James Clark who was executed 2 weeks ago was brief. "Uh, I don't know, Um,
I don't know what to say. I don't know. (pause) I didn't know anybody was
there. Howdy, he said. Clark was convicted of robbery, rape, and murder of
a 17-year-girl in 1993.

Roy Pippen who was executed 2 weeks earlier had more to say. "Yes sir, I
charge the people of the jury. Trial Judge, the Prosecutor that cheated to
get this conviction. I charge each and every one of you with the murder of
an innocent man. All the way to the CCA, Federal Court, 5th Circuit and
Supreme Court. You will answer to your Maker when God has found out that
you executed an innocent man. May God have mercy on you."

"My love to my son, my daughter, Nancy, Cathy, Randy, and my future
grandchildren. I ask for forgiveness for all of the poison that I brought
into the US, the country I love. Please forgive me for my sins. f my
murder makes it easier for everyone else let the forgiveness please be a
part of the healing. Go ahead Warden, murder me. Jesus take me home,"
Pippen said. Pippen who was involved in the Columbian drug trade was
convicted of kidnapping and murder.

Vincent Gutierrez who, with two associates, murdered a 40 year old
Hispanic man during a carjacking said, "I would like to tell everybody
that I'm sorry about the situation that happened. My bad - everybody is
here because of what happened. I'd like to thank everybody that's been
here through the years. The little kids overseas - they really changed me.
Sister Doris, mom, brothers, sister, dad; I love ya'll. My brother...
where's my stunt double when you need one? My Lord is my life and savior,
nothing shall I fear."

Charles Neal, who murdered a 25 year old Asian male clerk while robbing a
convenience store in Dallas in 1997, in his last statement said, "Ya'll
know I love you, you too Ward. You have been a good friend. You are a good
investigator. Doug, I thank you for coming from Michigan. Chris and David,
I love you. Thank them for their support Doug. Debra, James, I'm not
crying so you don't cry. Don't be sad for me. I'm going to be with God,
Allah, and Momma. I'm gonna ask dad why didn't give you away at your
wedding. Randy Greer, my little brother, I'll be watching you, stay out of
trouble. All my nieces and nephews, I love you all. Sammie, Vincent, and
Yolanda, I will be watching over you all."

The reason it took them so long is because they couldn't find a vein. You
know how I hate needles - I used to stay in the Doctor's Office. Tell the
guys on death row that I'm not wearing a diaper. I can't think of anything
else. You all stay strong. Now you can put this all aside. Don't bury me
in the prison cemetery. Bury me right beside momma. Don't bury me to the
left of dad, bury me on the right side of mom, Neal said.

"Kim Schaeffer, you are a evil woman. You broke the law. The judges and
courts helped you and you didn't have all the facts. hen you look at the
video, you know you can't see anyone. You overplayed your hand looking for
something against me and to cover it up the State is killing me. I'm not
mad or bitter though. I'm sad that you are stuck here and have to go
through all of this. I am going somewhere better. My time is up. Let me
get ready to make my transition. Doug, don't forget Marcy," Neal concluded
in his last statement.

Robert Perez, who with 2 associates shot and killed 2 men as part of an
internal power struggle in the Mexican Mafia said, "Yes sir, Ernest,
Christopher, Ochente, Mary and Jennifer tell all the kids I love them and
never forget. Tell Bobby, Mr. Bear will be dancing for them. Tell Bear not
to feel bad. My love always, I love you all. Stay strong Mary, take care
of them. I love you too. I am ready Warden."

Texas, which leads the nation in the number of executions, has been using
lethal injections for the last 30 years. Prior to that the state used the
electric chair. 361 detainees were electrocuted from the time the electric
chair was introduced in 1923. One of the most notorious offenders to be
electrocuted was Raymond Hamilton, a member of the 'Bonnie and Clyde'
gang. He was sentenced from Walker County and executed on May 10, 1935,
for murder. Hamilton and another man had escaped from death row, only to
be recaptured and returned to death row.

Prior to 1923 those sentenced to death were hanged.

When capital punishment was declared 'cruel and unusual punishment' by the
U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, 1972, there were 45 men on death row in
Texas, and seven in county jails with a death sentence. All of the
sentences were commuted to life sentences by the Governor of Texas, and
Death Row was clear by March 1973.

In 1973, revision to the Texas Penal Code once again allowed assessment of
the death penalty and allowed for executions to resume effective January
1st 1974. Under the new statute, the first man John Devries was placed on
death row the following month. Devries committed suicide just 5 months
later by hanging himself with bed sheets.

As of December 31,1999, the death penalty was authorized by 38 states and
the Federal Government.

Texas, California, and Florida have the largest death row populations.

Last year, 53 persons in 14 States were executed: 24 in Texas; 5 in Ohio;
4 each in Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia; and 1 each in
Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, California,
Montana, and Nevada.

3,254 offenders were under sentence of death in the United States as of
December 31, 2005.

(source: Malaysia Sun)






FLORIDA:

20 years after Palm Bay massacre, killer still far from execution


2 decades ago, William Byran Cruse killed 6 and wounded 14 during a
shooting spree in Palm Bay. 2 years later, he was sentenced to death.

But turning 80 this year and the oldest on Florida's death row, officials
say it's unlikely he'll be executed before his natural life ends. Despite
an insanity defense at trial, it wasn't until five years ago that the
courts declared him incompetent, which stalled his execution.

"You can see he's a madman," said State Attorney Norman Wolfinger, who
prosecuted Cruse in 1989. "Whether or not he will ever be competent to be
executed is questionable. Certainly I have my doubts that we will ever get
to that point."

That likelihood angers some, who think Cruse has lived too long since his
murderous rampage on April 23, 1987.

"Don't have a death penalty if you're not going to use it," said Satellite
Beach resident Ronald Grogan Sr., whose son was 1 of 2 Palm Bay police
officers killed by Cruse.

"The system is not doing what it's supposed to do," he said. "When he was
sent to prison, he wasn't like he is now. But if you leave somebody in
there for 20 years, anyone is going to go bats."

But others, including the woman the killer took as a hostage, believe
Cruse was insane from the start.

"If he's not going to be executed, then it's a crying shame that he wasn't
found insane and hospitalized for the last 20 years," said Robin Mucha,
who still lives in Brevard County.

Also adding to the possibility that Cruse's execution won't go forward: a
moratorium imposed on the Florida death penalty late last year because of
complications with an execution. The governor's office is reviewing a
report issued in March, and a decision is expected soon.

Late that Thursday afternoon 20 years ago, Cruse, a 59-year-old retired
librarian, stormed out of his home on Palm Bay's Creel Road home to
confront teens bouncing a basketball in a neighbor's driveway. He was
holding a shotgun.

Police said he had run-ins with them before, and he fired and wounded a
14-year-old boy. Then Cruse went back inside and retrieved an assault
rifle. He continued to fire shots at his neighbors' homes as he drove
away.

Cruse took his white Toyota Tercel to the southwest corner of Palm Bay
Road and Babcock Street, where he opened fire on 2 Florida Tech students,
killing both. Two other men were shot and injured.

Cruse then drove his car farther south. There he shot and killed
67-year-old Ruth Greene, who was leaving the Publix Supermarket. Cruse
drove across Babcock and stopped at Winn-Dixie.

Officer Gerry Johnson arrived at the store and was instantly shot in the
leg. He emptied his revolver at Cruse, but missed. Johnson scrambled from
his car and tried to reload. Cruse stalked after him and shot him in the
head.

Police would learn that in the weeks before the attacks, Cruse was taunted
by neighborhood children and often argued with them. There was an
indecency report filed, and Cruse, who hated homosexuals, later would tell
investigators that Publix employees thought he was gay.

Just before he killed the officer, Cruse took aim at Ruben Torres, a
39-year-old mailman at the time, who had stopped at Winn-Dixie to buy
shrimp for dinner. When Torres went to the front of the store to pay, he
saw employees and other customers on the floor and Cruse in the parking
lot.

"I looked toward the glass doors, and I guess William Cruse saw me because
he shot at me right through the doors and everything I had in my hand went
flying," Torres recalled. "After that I crawled up to the window and saw
him walking across the parking lot. I don't know where I got the strength
from, but I took the doors off the track and got out of the store."

As Cruse killed Johnson, Torres ran to his car and ducked.

"I got my gun out of my glove compartment and we started a little
shootout," he said. "I was shooting at him and he was shooting at me."

When Torres' went back to his car for more ammunition, a police officer
stopped him, thinking he was a second gunman. Originally criticized,
Torres since has been credited with distracting Cruse, which allowed
people to escape from Winn-Dixie. He still has the nickel-plated,
silver-handled pistol he used that night.

"Nobody ever called me a hero, they called me a vigilante," he said.

When Officer Ron Grogan arrived at the scene, Cruse shot 8 times through
the windshield, killing him. The officer had been married only 2 months.

Cruse then ran into Winn-Dixie, firing at people fleeing through a back
exit. He shot 52-year-old Lester Watson in the back. 45 minutes after
firing shots at his neighbors, Cruse found 2 women hiding in the restroom.

One he let go; the other, Robin Mucha, would become his hostage. The siege
ended 6 hours later when Cruse released Mucha and came out soon after, as
tear-gas canisters were shot into the store.

Cruse's defense from Day One was insanity - something that Wolfinger, in
the last case he prosecuted himself before a jury, and his staff worked
hard to dispel.

"It was obvious that there's something wrong and that he wasn't operating
on all cylinders, but that's not insanity," Wolfinger said.

Cruse's next competency hearing is scheduled for July.

During his 18 years on Death Row, Cruse has spent 23 hours a day in his
cell, said Gretl Plessinger, Florida Department of Corrections
spokeswoman. He is allowed a shower every other day.

She said Cruse has had no visitors in years. His parents are listed as
dead, and his wife returned to her native Turkey after the killings. She
suffered from Parkinson's disease. Cruse's sister in Kentucky, where he
grew up and spent most of his adult life, has not visited. He moved to
Brevard in 1985.

Cruse has well surpassed the average length of stay for Death Row inmates
of nearly 13 years and he was older than the average age of a Death Row
inmate - 44 - when he was convicted in 1989.

Carolyn Snurkowski, spokeswoman for the State Attorney General, said
execution is still a possibility. "We have had individuals before who need
help and get hospitalized and then go back to being on death row," she
said.

Uniformed police officers in Palm Bay wear a blue ribbon with the names of
the 2 fallen officers, credited with saving dozens of lives that night.

"It's a sad state for our society that you have a person seen by over 100
people commit this crime," said Palm Bay Deputy Chief Doug Muldoon, who
was an officer at the crime scene. "Here we are 20 years later, you have
family members that have been deceased that never saw justice done."

Capt. Doug Dechenne, the lead negotiator for Palm Bay's SWAT Team that
night, takes his frustration a step further.

"I think we'd all agree that there are persons who have committed such
heinous crimes that they no longer deserve to live amongst us," he said.
"Cruse is one of those that justice will be served if and when he is put
to death.

"I would put my name up to be the one that pushes the button."

(source: The Ledger)






INDIANA----impending execution

May 4 execution first since bar association reported flaws


The pending execution of Indiana death row inmate David Woods on May 4 is
a milestone in the history of Indiana's death penalty.

Our nagging doubts and fears about the death penalty system being
Indiana's "other lottery" have now been confirmed and thoroughly
documented in a recent report by the American Bar Association. Out of this
report rises an opportunity to show that Indiana will not stand by while a
man is executed as a result of so flawed and suspect a system. Instead, we
must show that Indiana stands for fairness and true justice by demanding a
hold on executions until the ABA report's recommendations can be further
examined and the death penalty system as a whole can be judged.

A moratorium is not only advisable, but is also overwhelmingly supported
by 61 % of Hoosiers as demonstrated in an ABA-commissioned poll. Once the
ticking clock of impending executions is silenced, objective examination
of this system will expose the inhumanity, inefficiency and injustice of
capital punishment. I urge all who are concerned about ensuring the
legitimacy of our justice system to petition their legislators and Gov.
Mitch Daniels for a stay of Woods' execution and a moratorium on capital
punishment.

Will McAuliffe, Co-director Notre Dame Against State Killing----South Bend

(source: Letter to the Editor, South Bend Tribune)






TENNESSEE:

Halt the executions until problems fixed


Like many people in the United States, voters in Tennessee believe in the
death penalty in concept but have reservations about how it is applied in
practice.

In a February survey conducted for the American Bar Association, 68 % of
Tennessee voters said they support the death penalty. But 65 % of those
same voters said they would support a temporary halt in executions to
allow the state to analyze how the legal system imposes death sentences,
identify problems and correct them.

They're right to be concerned.

Last week, experts from Tennessee's own legal community, seven people with
varying views of capital punishment, released the findings of a 3-year
study of Tennessee death penalty jurisprudence. The team is unified in its
assessment that Tennessee's death-penalty system falls far short of
providing fair and accurate procedures for each defendant.

Numerous problems in the system

Some of the team's findings are:

Tennessee does not assure adequate judicial review when defendants claim
they are innocent. Defense counsel is faced with excessive caseloads, both
at trial and on appeal, and standards for defense lawyers are insufficient
to ensure they are qualified.

Defendants often are denied access to proper expert and investigative
resources, crucial to provide juries information vital to consider a case.

The state is not required to preserve DNA and other biological evidence
for possible later testing that could prove a death-row inmate innocent -
or confirm an inmate's guilt. Jury instructions are confusing, such that
jurors often misunderstand their options.

The system suffers from racial disparities, based not so much on the race
of the offender as on the race of the homicide victim, and from geographic
disparities, with nearly half of all capital cases originating from Shelby
County.

The Tennessee Death Penalty Assessment Team, working under the auspices of
the ABA Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project, issued 14
specific recommendations aimed at ensuring fairness and accuracy at all
stages of a capital case and emphasizing the importance of resolving
important issues as early as possible.

The scope of the flaws led the team to conclude that Tennessee should
temporarily halt executions until identified problems are addressed.

On Feb. 1, Gov. Phil Bredesen imposed a 90-day stay on executions to
review the state's protocols for administering lethal injections and
correct any deficiencies.

While the ABA has no position on the fundamental question of whether death
is an appropriate punishment, or on the issue of how executions should be
administered, it does believe that if death is to be imposed the justice
system should be as flawless as we can make it.

We urge Gov. Bredesen to impose a moratorium on executions in the state
until there is greater reason to have confidence that justice is being
served.

(source: The Tennessean)

****************

Range of problems calls for complete review in Tennessee-----Today's
Topic: Is death-penalty system broken?


As Gov. Phil Bredesen's moratorium on executions nears an end, there are
indications that the state of Tennessee is not prepared to carry out the
death penalty according to legal guidelines or constitutional guarantees.

Bredesen imposed a 90-day suspension in February, just as 4 inmates'
executions were coming due. The governor pointed to a number of problems
with the state's guidelines for putting people to death; among them,
procedures that did not detail standard dosages for the three chemicals
used during a lethal injection.

An analysis of executions in California and North Carolina released last
week found that two of the three drugs used in lethal injection were not
administered in those states in a way that reliably results in painless
death. Some of the inmates died of suffocation and were conscious enough
to realize it, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Such errors run afoul of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which
prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The problems found in California
and North Carolina are remarkably similar to the concerns that led to a
moratorium in Tennessee.

But that is only the beginning of Tennessee's problems, according to the
American Bar Association. The organization issued a report on the state's
death-penalty system last week, authored by seven Tennessee lawyers, which
cited poor legal representation for the accused, crushing caseloads for
the handful of good defense lawyers, and the likelihood that some
death-penalty cases have been tainted by racial discrimination.

The ABA urged Bredesen to extend his moratorium and issued a set of
recommendations with the report, including an independent commission to
review innocence claims; an agency to train death-row defense lawyers; new
instructions for juries to avoid confusion; and barring the death penalty
for the mentally ill.

In addition, there is a proposal in the General Assembly that would
establish a special committee to study administration of the death
penalty. The state seems determined to get back on track with executions,
however. A spokeswoman for the governor said last week they feel the state
will be up to speed on the drug protocols by Wednesday, when the
moratorium expires.

That appears doubtful. One indication that the state is not up to speed
arose in a hearing in Davidson County Chancery Court over press access to
the state's revisions of the execution manual. On April 25, the chancellor
rejected the state's contention that the documents were privileged and
ordered their release. More telling is another reason the state gave for
refusing to hand over the documents: that the revision of the manual was
not ready - this nearly 90 days after the process was to have begun.

For this reason alone, the suspension of executions should be extended.
But the ABA report also bears serious consideration. Tennessee's system
appears to follow a pattern of flawed systems in a dozen states.

But in the Tennessee Department of Correction, the clock is ticking.
Inmate Philip Workman is scheduled for execution May 9.

The case against Workman, convicted of murdering a Memphis police officer
during a robbery, has its own problems. Pathologists have determined that
shots fired by fellow officers killed Lt. Ronald Oliver, not shots fired
by Workman. The state argues Workman deserves death anyway, because his
actions led to the shootout.

A controversial conviction. Uncertain lethal-injection procedures.
Disturbing findings by the bar association. With this recipe for error,
the governor would do well to take another step back and consider the
recommendations of the ABA and of the legislature. Executions that are
botched or carried out under mistaken pretenses are a disservice to
society.

(source: Our View, The Tennessean)

*********************

Reader Views: Should Tennessee's execution moratorium be extended because
of reported problems?


A new study says that execution by lethal injection could torture a
convicted murderer. Where, may I ask, is the study showing the method that
was used by the murderers to take the life of their victim or victims?

Did their method of execution cause pain? Were the victims given an
option, as to the method used by bringing their lives to an end?

There are 2 sides to every story. We've heard from the murderers, now
let's hear from . Guess we can't do that. They were murdered, remember?

James Tanner----Columbia 38401

****************

In reference to the article regarding lethal injections for inmates, I
have one question. Do you think the inmates convicted of these hideous
crimes cared what kind of torture they inflicted on their victims prior to
their snuffing out their lives? I think not!

Perhaps their executions should mirror those of their victims; that would
be true justice.

Marie Staigle----Clarksville 37043

********************

It appears that a permanent moratorium on capital punishment in Tennessee
is in the near future ("Study says lethal injection can be torture," April
24).


Seems a new study says that "the drugs used to execute prisoners in the
U.S. sometimes fail to work as planned, causing slow, painful deaths."
This study comes in the wake of the scheduled execution of Philip Workman,
who was convicted in 1982 of killing a Memphis police officer.

Now, putting aside the fact that Workman has lived some 25 years longer
than the police officer he killed and putting aside the fact that Workman
has not paid the essentials that we pay as law-abiding citizens such as, a
house note, utilities, food, medical expenses, clothing and taxes etc.,
all of a sudden, we are told that he may now suffer when he dies.

What about the family and friends of that police officer? I submit that
they have suffered every day since his death.

What about little 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford who was kidnapped,
repeatedly raped and then buried alive? Did she suffer? And what about her
family and friends?

So to the ACLU and all other bleeding hearts for criminals, I have 3
suggestions for replacing lethal injection: firing squad, gallows or
electric chair. Take your pick. I rest my case.

Bobby J. Bass ---- Nashville 37211

*************

Once again, a move is under way to block the state from carrying out
court-ordered death sentences ("Study says lethal injection can be
torture," April 24).


It is now claimed that lethal injections cause pain and that the criminal
may not have the ability to express pain during the process due to the
effects of pre-injected drugs.

Should we have a problem living with the fact that convicted murderers may
have to suffer for a few minutes prior to death, knowing that their
victims surely suffered agony of a greater nature and duration?

Are we to believe that to avoid a "cruel and unusual" punishment it must
be completely pain-free, or would a little agony along the way serve as a
deterrent to others?

Ed Forbes ---- Hendersonville 37075

****

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has been very
inconsistent in its disposition of death- penalty cases. Their decisions
often appear to be influenced by political considerations. The Democratic
members of the court tend to be more sympathetic to those facing the death
penalty than the Republican members, who tend to be more "hard nosed" in
analyzing such appeals. This raises the question: "What is the proper
balance between fairness to the accused, compassion for the families of
the victims and the determination that justice be done?"

No person should be put to death if there is any doubt regarding his or
her guilt. No person should be executed if the conviction is based almost
entirely on circumstantial evidence or if the only substantive evidence
supporting the conviction is eyewitness testimony. Many eyewitness
accounts have later been determined to be erroneous.

Even when the evidence for conviction is overwhelming, any doubt, even if
unreasonable, as to culpability of the person convicted, should result in
a sentence of life in prison, without the possibility of parole, rather
than the death sentence. Many times in recent years persons incarcerated
in prison have later been proven innocent of the crime of which they were
convicted. Death is final, making any new evidence exonerating the
convicted person irrelevant.

Fortunately, modern technology has taken some of the guesswork out of
criminal cases. DNA evidence can now conclusively prove, in cases where
such evidence is available, whether a person charged with a crime actually
committed the offense. DNA tests should be used extensively, where
possible, to determine whether those presently incarcerated are actually
guilty of the crime for which they were convicted. It is a grievous
injustice for a person to be imprisoned for a crime that they did not
commit.

Even in cases of premeditated murder, if there is any doubt at all as to
the person's guilt, that person should be given a prison sentence rather
than the death sentence, for an execution is irreversible. However, I am
no bleeding heart. When a person has conclusively been proven, by DNA or
other foolproof evidence, to have committed premeditated murder, with no
extenuating circumstances, that person has signed their own death warrant.
It is incumbent upon the state, after legitimate appeals, to execute that
individual in a timely manner.

All errors at the trial court level and other reasonable objections to the
verdict should be consolidated into one appeal. For an execution to be
delayed for numerous years due to an endless litany of appeals which have
no chance of succeeding and meant only to delay carrying out the
execution, is ludicrous and a perversion of our system of justice. Only in
extremely unusual situations, where previously undisclosed evidence is
found, should additional appeals be permitted. Some of the criminals
presently on Tennessee's death row were convicted over 20 years ago. They
will most likely die of old age.

Justice delayed is justice denied!

Bob Hamlett----Nashville 37221



(source: Letters, The Tennessean)

***************

Think about victims when making decision


As someone who has experienced the horror of having a family member
sexually assaulted, bound, wrapped in plastic, and thrown into the river
alive, I support the death penalty.

Death penalty opponents argue that capital punishment is not fair, and
innocent people may be executed. There is, however, no evidence of any
innocent being executed since the early 1900s.

Error is anticipated in capital cases  that's why there are so many
appeals and chances for clemency.

>From 1966 to 1991, our country had a moratorium on the death penalty.
During this time, murders increased dramatically. Between 1965 and 1980,
annual murders in the U.S. rose from 9,960 to 23,040. The results of this
moratorium is engraved on thousands of headstones across our country. When
executions resumed, the murder rate fell in almost every state.

The death penalty is not vengeance; it's about appropriate justice.
Although my loved one suffered a horrible death, her murderer was not
given a death sentence. The death penalty is the ultimate punishment
reserved for the worst of the worst, who kill in horrific ways with as
much concern as clipping their fingernails.

Consider individual cases

When I think about the death penalty, I'm filled with sadness.

I think about elderly Mina Ethel Johnson, who told her attacker she was a
virgin while he raped and stabbed her to death. I think about how she
would have been spared that horrible ending if her attacker had been
executed for the first murder he committed.

I think about 16-year-old Sara Jackson and how scared she must have been
to see her boss Steve Hampton executed, how horrified she must have been
as her turn came to die, how she struggled to get up after being wounded,
only to be murdered with a succession of gunshots to her head.

I think about the two young girls at the Clarksville Baskin-Robbins, who
were abducted by this same killer during a robbery and taken to the woods,
where their throats cut and they were left to die alone.

I think about 17-year-old Andrea Brown and her coworkers, who were killed
execution-style at the Hermitage McDonald's by this same, brutal serial
killer.

I think about the intense pain Suzanne Collins endured as the tree limb
she was raped with was shoved through her abdomen.

I think about four little children who thought they were going to get a
Christmas present from their father and were murdered instead.

All these deaths were painful and terrifying. They did not have a chance
to say goodbye to those they loved. They were not treated humanely in
their final moments. Dying is not easy, even when it is a natural,
peaceful death.

I'm sure all of these victims would have preferred lethal injection to the
kind of death they experienced. They didn't have a choice. They didn't
have a trial. They didn't have any appeals.

There has always been violence in our world, and there will always be
people who perpetrate heinous acts on the innocent. The death penalty is a
clear, appropriate, consequence for those who cross that line of human
decency.

(source: Verna Wyatt, The Tennessean)