[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
June 10 MALAYSIA: Kenyan woman sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Malaysia A Kenyan woman was sentenced to death by a Malaysian court after she was found guilty of trafficking in methamphetamine 4 years ago. According to Malaysian Daily Express, Rose Achieng Ojala had stuffed 3 capsules of the drug into her private parts and swallowed another 68 capsules, all weighing about 400gm. She was arrested on November 30, 2013 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The mother of three, who allegedly suffered from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), had fainted before the proceedings and had to be taken into the court room in a wheelchair. On the day she was arrested, an Immigration officer noticed that she was behaving suspiciously during the regular luggage inspection. Upon searching her, 3 capsules of methamphetamine weighing more than 20g were found in her underwear. She admitted that her boyfriend had stuffed the capsules into her private parts before she boarded the flight. The woman, who claimed she was pregnant, was later taken to the Serdang Hospital, where an x-ray examination revealed that she had swallowed 68 capsules of the drug weighing more than 380gm. In convicting Ojala, the judge said the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. "You are found guilty and there is no other punishment under Section 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1962 except the death sentence," he said. Ojala was also sentenced to 3 years' jail for possessing 20.7g of methamphetamine in her underwear. She was a single mother of children aged between 4 and 15. (source: the-star.co.ke) LEBANON: Rise in Crime Rate Spurs Calls for Death Penalty A rise in cold-blooded murders in Lebanon has been met with demands for re-enacting the death penalty which has been frozen since 2004. The latest crime was the killing of a 23-year-old man by a gunman north of Beirut earlier this week. The gunman killed Roy Hamouche after their cars collided on a highway. His murder led to widespread condemnation and demands to re-enact the death penalty despite the rejection of several civil society and human rights organizations that said limiting such crimes should come through the restraint of guns. On Friday, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq called for the implementation of the death penalty during a speech celebrating the 156th anniversary of the Internal Security Forces in Lebanon. He called for stricter punishment for criminals, saying that Lebanon should "re-enact the death penalty, especially in cases of deliberate murder." Lebanon's last execution took place in 2004, former Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi told Asharq Al-Awsat. Despite the significant time since the last execution, capital punishment continues to be legal in Lebanon, he said. Following a judge's verdict, carrying out the death penalty requires a decision from the justice minister, which is later sent to the prime minister and the president to issue a special decree, Qortbawi told the newspaper. But no justice minister has done that since 2009, he said. While rejecting capital punishment, the former minister said that the real problem lies in the proliferation of arms in addition to the high rate of drug use among all communities in the country. "The solution should come by abolishing all arms licenses," Qortbawi said. Abdel Salam Sidahmed, the Regional Representative of the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, told Asharq Al-Awsat the OHCHR encourages countries to abolish the death penalty in line with international conventions and a resolution issued by the UN calling for the abolishment of capital punishment. A criminal can be punished through other verdicts such as life in prison, he said. The OHCHR is in continuous contact with the Lebanese authorities on human rights issues and encourages officials to hold onto the moratorium of the death penalty, he added. (source: aawsat.com) IRAN: Under the Shadow of Death: List of 30 Death Row Prisoners in One of the Poorest Cities in Iran 30 prisoners in Zabol Central Prison are reportedly in imminent danger of execution after their death sentences were confirmed by Iran's Supreme Court. Zabol, located in the province of Sistan & Baluchestan, is one of the poorest cities in Iran. Zabol Central Prison is located in the southern part of the city and hundreds of prisoners are held here. There are multiple worrying reports from the prison of the ill-treatment of prisoners by the prison officials, frequent water outages, overcrowdedness, lack of air conditioning, and poor-quality and lack of food. On May 16, 2017, a prisoner by the name of Ramezan Koohkan reportedly died in Zabol Central Prison after receiving rough treatment by the head of prison security and suffering a concussion. "About 80% of the prisoners in this prison are
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----OKLA., KAN., NEB., CALIF.
June 10 OKLAHOMA: Gang member headed to death row for Oklahoma City shooting A gang member accused of killing an Oklahoma City man to gain some street cred is headed to death row. Oklahoma County jurors on Thursday chose the punishment for Ronnie Eugene Fuston after learning he also killed another man in Enid. Fuston was given life in prison without the possibility of parole in that case. Fuston, a 107 Hoover Crip gang member, was convicted this month of 1st-degree murder in the Oct. 20, 2012, shooting death of Michael Donnell Rhodes, 58. Prosecutors called Fuston a hit man from Enid looking to gain some street cred. Defense attorneys said Fuston wasn't there for the shooting. Fuston, now 24, drove to Oklahoma City the day of the shooting to help some female gang members with an ongoing dispute with Rhodes' niece, prosecutors alleged. That night, Fuston and others went to Rhodes' house in northwest Oklahoma City to confront the niece, according to prosecutors. After the door was kicked in, Fuston fired 5 shots into the house, striking Rhodes 3 times as he laid on the couch with his 3-year-old daughter, prosecutors said. During closing arguments Thursday, First Assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland told jurors he didn't know how the girl escaped the "hail of gunfire," but was glad she did. He said the girl was found splattered in her father's blood. Prosecutors said Fuston was connected to the crime through cellphone and ballistic evidence. Fuston also bragged about the shooting afterward, police reported. Defense attorneys contended there was no evidence Fuston pulled the trigger. During the trial's punishment stage, his defense asked jurors not to choose the death penalty because Fuston came from an abusive home and was a "low-functioning" individual. Rowland, though, told the jurors Fuston's siblings didn't become criminals. The prosecutor also said Fuston wasn't low-functioning but didn't want to function as a law-abiding citizen. He also said Fuston would be a continuing threat to society. "He has wreaked havoc on so many innocent people," Rowland said. Jurors in Garfield County found Fuston guilty of 1st-degree murder in November 2016. In that case, Fuston was accused of shooting Heath Crites, 24, multiple times during a home invasion in Enid about two months after the Oklahoma City shooting. Prosecutors told jurors Fuston has been involved in multiple drive-by shootings and robberies. Fuston also assaulted at least 5 people during his time in jail, according to prosecutors. (source: The Oklahoman) KANSAS: Kansas man accused of hate crime in death of Indian citizen A man accused in a bar shooting in suburban Kansas City that left one Indian national dead and another wounded was indicted by a federal grand jury on hate crime charges, the U.S. Justice Department announced Friday. The indictment against Adam Purinton, 52, of Olathe, Kansas, comes after a Feb. 22 shooting at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas. Witnesses have said Purinton, who is white, yelled "get out of my country" at 2 32-year-old Indian nationals, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, before he began shooting. Kuchibhotla died and Madasani was injured. A 3rd man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene. The shooting raised fears of more attacks on immigrants following President Donald Trump's election and his call for a ban on immigrants from some countries. Officials in India also expressed concern about their citizens' safety in the U.S., where many work in technology and other industries. Kuchibhotla and Madasani had come to the U.S. from India to study and worked as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin. An affidavit released in March said Madasani told detectives that the gunman asked if their "status was legal" before he opened fire. The indictment announced Friday alleges Purinton shot the 2 Indian men because of their "actual and perceived" race, color, religion and national origin. The indictment also alleges Purinton committed the crimes after premeditation and planning, attempted to kill more than 1 person and created a grave risk of death to others at the scene. The indictment also accuses Purinton of violating federal firearms laws. After the shooting, Purinton drove 70 miles east to an Applebee's restaurant in Clinton, Missouri, where he allegedly admitted the shootings to a bartender, who called police. The Justice Department said in a news release Friday that it would determine later whether Purinton should face the death penalty. Purinton was a Navy veteran who was a regular customer at Austin's. Neighbors in the quiet Olathe cul-de-sac where he lived told The Associated Press that Purinton had become "a drunken mess" after his father's death about two years ago and had physically and mentally deteriorated before the shooting. Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland said in a statement that the hate
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, FLA., MISS., KY., ARK.
June 10 TEXAS: Death penalty sought for alleged hitman accused of killing Uptown dentist The Dallas County district attorney's office is seeking the death penalty against the man accused of shooting a dentist in a murder-for-hire plot. Authorities say a love triangle may have led to the 2015 slaying of 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher in her Uptown apartment parking garage. Kristopher Love, 33, is one of three people charged with capital murder in the case. Investigators believe Brenda Delgado, who used to date Hatcher's boyfriend, hired Love to be the triggerman. Prosecutors filed a motion Friday to seek the death penalty against Love. Police said Delgado, 34, was jealous of Hatcher's relationship with Ricardo Paniagua, whom Delgado had dated for two years. She's accused of hiring 23-year-old Crystal Cortes to help rob Hatcher. Cortes told police Delgado paid her $500, and she drove Love to Hatcher's parking garage. Before the slaying, Cortes asked Love how much he was being paid to rob Hatcher. He told her it was "none of her business." Cortes said she waited in the getaway car while Love attacked Hatcher. She heard 1 gunshot, and then Love got back into the Jeep with 2 purses. He told Cortes that if she told police, she and her son "would be next," police records show. But their getaway car, a Jeep Cherokee belonging to Delgado, was captured on surveillance cameras. Initially, police questioned and released Delgado about her role in Hatcher's slaying. She told police that she loaned the Jeep to Cortes, who was arrested shortly after the killing. About a month later, police issued arrest warrants for Love and Delgado, but by then Delgado had fled to Mexico. Delgado was extradited to the United States a year after the killing. Though authorities believe she was the mastermind behind Hatcher's killing, she isn't eligible for the death penalty as part of the extradition agreement with Mexico. Trial dates for Love, Cortes and Delgado have not been set. (source: Dallas Morning News) FLORIDA: State could seek death penalty for Naomi Jones' alleged killer The man accused of murdering 12-year-old Pensacola girl Naomi Jones has been denied bond. Robert Letroy Howard, 38, made his first appearance in court Friday morning via video conferencing. At the hearing, Judge Joyce H. Williams determined there was probable cause for the State Attorney's Office to charge Howard with 1st-degree murder, kidnapping and failure to register as a sex offender. In a press conference following the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said the state will present to a grand jury within the next 2 weeks its reasons for charging Howard. If the grand jury indicts Howard on the charges, the state will then decide whether or not to pursue the death penalty. Marcille said he anticipates that decision will be made before Howard's arraignment June 30. Marcille added the state is still investigating and reviewing the facts of the case, but at this point, "the factors of the case do indicate there are circumstances that would justify the death sentence." A few of the factors under consideration are Naomi's age and whether her death was heinous, atrocious or cruel. Another factor will be Howard's previous criminal history. Howard, of Brewton, Alabama, is a convicted felon who served 15 years in prison for 2 counts of rape. According to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Community Information Center, Howard was arrested Dec. 8, 1998, and convicted Sept. 1, 1999, in Escambia County, Alabama. Howard's address in Brewton was last verified the day after Naomi's murder. Marcille said the state is reviewing the information on Howard's previous convictions. "If the prior cases do constitute a violent felony, then we could consider those in seeking a sentence," Marcille said. Howard was given a $600,000 bond for his failure to register charge, but was denied bond on the murder and kidnapping charges. Procedurally, the no bond takes priority, meaning Howard will remain in jail until his trial unless a judge orders otherwise. Howard developed as a person of interest in Naomi's disappearance June 2, two days after the 12-year-old went missing, according to his arrest report. Naomi lived in Aspen Village Apartments on East Johnson Avenue, the same complex where Howard's girlfriend resides. During a neighborhood canvas, Howard reportedly gave investigators inconsistent statements about his whereabouts at the time of Naomi's disappearance. Naomi was found deceased in a creek bed near Ashland Avenue and Detroit Boulevard June 5. On June 7, investigators recovered surveillance video from a business in the area. It allegedly showed Howard's silver Nissan Altima traveling around the intersection and bridge near the creek bed around 2:35 a.m. June 1, approximately 14 hours after Naomi disappeared. Investigators re-interviewed Howard later in the
