2005 last meals...
(compiled from various news accounts)
december, 2005
MISSISSIPPI LAST MEAL
JOHN B. NIXON SR.
December 14, 2005
...Nixon pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and said, “I brought y’all something.”...
Last Meal: Nixon ate two eggs, two sausage patties and two slices of white bread for breakfast. He did not eat his cereal at breakfast and turned down his lunch because he wanted to save room for dinner. Nixon requested a well-done T-bone steak, buttered asparagus spears, a baked potato with sour cream, peach pie, vanilla ice cream and sweet tea.
The skinny: Nixon was executed for the killing of a woman for $1,000 and shooting her husband in 1985. The dead woman's ex-husband, hired Nixon to kill the man.
Thomas Tucker survived the shooting and witnessed Nixon’s execution.
More skinny: Nixon entered the home with two accomplices, his son John Nixon Jr, and Gilbert Jimenez. Nixon pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and said, “I brought y’all something.”
Thomas Tucker, who had married his wife six months earlier, immediately guessed that the men had been hired by his wife’s former husband. Thomas offered Nixon money to spare their lives, but Nixon replied, “that’s not what I’m after. The deal’s already been made.” Nixon and one of his associates then shot at Thomas Tucker, who managed to escape despite being hit twice. Nixon then took the gun back from Jimenez, held the gun one inch behind the woman’s ear and fired a shot into her head while Jiminez held her down. Nixon and his associates fled. Thomas survived the ordeal and identified Nixon. The man who hired the killers for $1000, Elster Joseph Ponthieux, was also convicted of capital murder and received a life sentence. Nixon's sons Henry Leon Nixon and John B. Nixon Jr. were convicted on lesser charges for their involvement in the murder plot. Jiminez testified against the others and received a 20 year sentence. It took the jury only half an hour to find Nixon guilty, and only one and a half hours to determine the sentence should be death.
At age 77, Nixon is the oldest person executed in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Leading up to: Earlier this morning Nixon said he was sorry for himself and the Tucker family.
The quote Nixon gave his attorneys to pass on to media in the morning — “That I was where I would be/then should I be where I am not/ here I am where I must be/where I would be I cannot” — was taken from a Mother Goose poem titled “Katy Cruel.”
His mood changed from cheerful and chatty to somber and withdrawn as the time of his execution grew near, state corrections officials said at 4 p.m. ‘He’s not playing anymore,” Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said. “Time is caving in on Mr. Nixon, and it appears to me that he is realizing that." But as Nixon puffed on a last cigarette before the execution, he joked that smoking kills.
Last words and such: Just before the fatal chemicals were injected, Nixon - wearing red pants, a white T-shirt and white sneakers - said in a lengthy but coherent statement: "Friends, I pray for everybody." Nixon's execution on a rainy night at the sprawling state penitentiary in the rural Mississippi Delta came after a final steak-and-potato meal and visits with family.
"I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm sorry to the world. I'm sorry for myself and I'm sorry to the family. I did not kill Virginia Tucker. I know within my heart, and it hurts to acknowledge, that it was a son of mine and a Spanish friend and another man from Jackson."
Factoids: Mississippi executed its first inmate in three years.
Nixon was the....
60th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
1004th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Mississippi in 2005
7th murderer executed in Mississippi since 1976
MISSISSIPPI PROCEDURES
In 1998, the Mississippi Legislature amended Section 99-19-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, as follows: 99-19-51. ***The manner of inflicting the punishment of death shall be by continuous intravenous administration of a lethal quantity of an ultra short-acting barbiturate or other similar drug in combination with a chemical paralytic agent until death is pronounced by the county coroner where the execution takes place or by a licensed physician according to accepted standards of medical practice.
Contents of Syringes for Lethal Injection
Anesthetic - Sodium Pentothal 2.0 Gm.
Normal Saline 10-15 cc.
Pavulon 50 mgm per 50 cc.
Potassium chloride 50 milequiv. per 50 cc.
48 Hours Prior to Execution The condemned inmate shall be transferred to a holding cell adjacent to the execution room.
24 Hours Prior to Execution Institution is placed in emergency/lockdown status.
1030 Hours Day of Execution Designated media center at institution opens.
1500 Hours Day of Execution Inmate’s attorney of record and chaplain allowed to visit.
1600 Hours Day of Execution Inmate is served last meal and allowed to shower.
1630 Hours Day of Execution MDOC clergy allowed to visit upon request of inmate.
1730 Hours Day of Execution Witnesses are transported to Unit 17.
1800 Hours Day of Execution Inmate is escorted from holding cell to execution room.
Witnesses are escorted into observation room.
1900 Hours Day of Execution A post execution briefing is conducted with media witnesses.
2230 Hours Day of Execution Designated media center at institution is closed.
CALIFORNIA LAST MEAL
STANLEY "TOOKIE" WILLIAMS
December 13, 2005
...turning a monster into a martyr...
Last Meal: Williams had nothing but oatmeal and milk all day, refusing the privilege of a special last meal.
The skinny: Williams was executed by lethal injection for four 1979 Los Angeles-area murders that he denied committing.
More skinny: On Wednesday, February 28, 1979, around 4 a.m., defendant Stanley Williams and a companion were in one car traveling with the co-defendant and another companion. They were running low on gas and decided to rob a store. They stopped at a 7-Eleven market at 10437 Whittier Boulevard in Whittier and all four entered the market. The attendant was sweeping the parking lot and was herded into the store by the defendant and one of the companions. While one of the companions emptied the cash register drawer and took $120, Williams took the victim into the back room, told him to get on his knees and then shot him twice in the back with a shotgun.
On Sunday, March 11, 1979, at about 5:30 a.m., Williams, accompanied by another man, broke down the door and entered a hotel in Los Angeles and shot to death a 76-year old man, his 63-year old wife and their 43-year old daughter. He took about $50 in cash and left.
Williams and Raymond Washington co-founded the Crips, a street gang, in 1971.
The trial and the jail-time...the early years: Williams, convicted and sentenced to death in 1981, maintained that he was railroaded by witnesses who lied in exchange for leniency in their own criminal cases, by a faulty ballistics test, and by a prosecutor who removed three African Americans from the jury and told jurors that seeing Williams in court was like observing a Bengal tiger in a zoo.
After the jury read their guilty verdict Williams, according to transcripts, looked to jurors and mouthed: "I'm going to get each and every one of you motherf------."
He remained a violent man during his early years in prison, assaulting inmates and guards and spending six years in solitary confinement, from 1988 to 1994. But as he later described it, during that period he began reading widely and reflecting on his life, and resolved to prevent gang violence.
New Tookie: Williams taped a message from prison in April 1993 that was broadcast to Los Angeles gang members at a "peace summit.'' With the help of Barbara Becnel, a writer he met in prison who became his champion, he started work on eight books for children that were published in 1996 as a series called, "Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.'' He followed with "Life in Prison'' in 1998 and a memoir, "Blue Rage, Black Redemption,'' in 2004 and was working on two more books before his execution. He spoke regularly from prison to youths and educators, and posted a model "peace protocol'' for gangs, which supporters say was widely used, on his Web site in 2000. "Redemption,'' a television movie starting Jamie Foxx in a sympathetic portrayal of Williams, aired in 2004.
Legal Machinations: State and federal courts rejected each of his appeals, although federal judges described the evidence as less than airtight, and a three-judge federal panel said he might be a worthy candidate for clemency.
Last Minute Machinations: Despite persistent pleas for mercy from around the globe, the governor earlier in the day had said Williams was unworthy of clemency because he had not admitted his brutal shotgun murders of four people during two robberies 26 years ago. After the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request for a last-minute stay Monday evening, the co-founder of the infamous Crips street gang — who insisted he was innocent of the murders — became the 12th man executed by the state of California since voters reinstated capital punishment in 1978.
In a strongly worded rejection of Williams’ request for clemency, Schwarzenegger said he saw no need to rehash or second-guess the many court decisions already rendered in the case, and he questioned the death row inmate’s claims of atonement. Williams, the governor said in a statement, never admitted guilt, plotted to kill law enforcement officers after his capture, and made little mention in his writings of the scourge of gang killings, which the statement called "a tragedy of our modern culture."
Leading up to: Behind the prison’s thick walls, Williams passed his dwindling hours quietly, visiting with friends and talking on the telephone while under constant watch by guards. An acquaintance described him sitting at a table, handcuffed, next to untouched turkey sandwiches, bidding goodbye to friends in an ordinary, everyday manner. A prison spokesman said Williams was calm and upbeat, though he ate nothing but oatmeal and milk all day, refusing the privilege of a special last meal. Williams also declined a spiritual advisor.
At 6 p.m., Williams was strip-searched, given a set of clean clothes and placed in a holding cell steps from the death chamber under nonstop observation by a sergeant and two officers. Officials said he spent the evening watching TV and reading some of the roughly 50 letters that arrived Monday from as far as Italy and Israel — including some from schoolchildren. Many of them said they were praying for him. Nearby, the injection team began its final preparations in the prison’s converted gas chamber, ensuring that the required needles, tubes and chemicals were in place.
Williams, who earlier said he didn’t want to invite anyone to observe "the sick and perverted spectacle," had five witnesses. Officials designated a total of 39 witnesses, including 17 media representatives.
He also did not request a sedative before the execution, though one was available.
As journalists waited, "Monday Night Football" played on a small TV. Others flipped through the press package prepared by the San Quentin Press. It opened with three pages of pictures of the young victim, followed by pictures of his dead body, lying in a pool of blood next to empty Pepsi cans. On another page that addressed Williams' Nobel Prize nomination, the booklet explained that over 140 nominations are submitted each year and that former nominees have included Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini.
Last words and such: During the execution, the inmate’s friend Barbara Becnel and other supporters mouthed "God bless you" and "We love you" and blew kisses to Williams. Williams also seemed to mouth statements to Becnel. The entire procedure took longer than usual. The execution team took about 12 minutes to find a vein in Williams’ muscular left arm. While the personnel were probing, Williams repeatedly lifted his head off the gurney, winced visibly, and at one point appeared to say: "Still can’t find it?"
After Williams was pronounced dead, Becnel and two other supporters of Williams turned toward the media in the witness room and yelled in unison, "The state of California just killed an innocent man!"
Factoids: Williams was the...
59th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
1003rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in California in 2005
12th murderer executed in California since 1976
As night descended Monday, about 2,000 demonstrators who gathered on a tree-lined street leading to the gates of San Quentin State Prison endured frosty temperatures to protest the execution while a few motorists shouted from their car windows, "Kill him." Joan Baez sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" as speakers urged participants to keep fighting. Small clumps of people in scarves and gloves held candles and sang hymns, while others wandered off alone, gazing into the bay. Some sang "We Shall Overcome," although a girl sitting on top of a trailer said, "I don't believe that. I'm not singin'.
A few death penalty supporters also turned out at San Quentin. Scuffles and shoving matches broke out on occasion, but no serious incidents were reported.
A portrait photographer, attended by a pair of assistants, had set up a street side studio where he was shooting demonstrators who posed in the lotus position against a white backdrop. "This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful," he said. Next to him, a small group of men were clustered around a banner that said "QUEERS AGAINST EXECUTION." A man selling hot chocolate was being pursued by a man with a "SAVE TOOKIE" sign, shouting "You fascist bastard."
Outside the gates of San Quentin as midnight approached, speakers urged calm. There was a moment of tension when a Williams’ friend, Fred Jackson, told the crowd, "It’s all over." Angry shouts broke out. A woman sobbed on someone’s shoulder.
A Native American man on the other side of the street held a large upside-down American flag with a white swastika painted in the blue field of stars. He was shouting at the "white maggots" who had defiled his land, who had oppressed and enslaved his people. He yelled at the blond news anchors below him, "You're all immigrants. This is my land you've been poisoning for the last 500 years." He lighted the flag on fire as a black woman told him he shouldn't do that, that he should have more pride in this nation. He responded that it was time for a "true indigenous people's revolution." Then the white picket fence he was holding onto broke and he fell down the small embankment. Then the people he'd been arguing with lifted him up and asked him if he was OK. "Yeah," he said. "I'm OK.".
Williams’ son, Stanley Williams Jr., who is in High Desert State Prison serving a 16-year sentence for second-degree murder, will be notified in person of his father’s death by a chaplain and mental health specialist, prison officials said. The younger Williams is in isolation for disciplinary problems, and would not normally have access to any news source.
No capital case in the state had stirred such national and international attention since Caryl Chessman -- like Williams, an author of books from Death Row -- was executed in the gas chamber in 1960 for rape and kidnapping.
In a major surprise: The execution of convicted murderer Stanley (Tookie) Williams in California outraged many in Europe.
In Graz, Schwarzenegger's hometown, local Greens said they would file a petition to remove the governor's name from the southern city's Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium. A Christian political group went even further, suggesting it be renamed the "Stanley Tookie Williams Stadium."
Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, called it "a sad day" and said the city would keep Williams in its memory the next time it celebrated a victory against the death penalty somewhere in the world. Rome's Colosseum, once the arena for deadly gladiator combat and executions, has become a symbol of Italy's anti-death penalty stance. Since 1999, the monument has been bathed in golden light every time a death sentence is commuted somewhere in the world or a country abolishes capital punishment. "I hope there will be such an occasion soon," Veltroni said in a statement. "When it happens, we will do it with a special thought for Tookie."
MARYLAND LAST MEAL
WESLEY EUGENE BAKER
December 4, 2005
Last Meal: Baker had a final meal of breaded fish, pasta marinara, green beans, orange fruit punch, bread and milk.
The skinny: Baker was executed for the shooting of a woman to death at a Baltimore County mall while two of her grandchildren looked on.
More skinny: The victim was 49 years old, married with three children and six grandchildren. She worked as a teacher's aide at a local elementary school. She went to the Westview Mall near Baltimore with her two grandchildren. As they were entering their car in the parking lot to leave, the woman was approached by Baker, who put a gun to her head and fired once, killing her.
Baker stole her purse which police said contained $10 in cash, then jumped into a blue truck which fled the scene. A witness followed the Blazer out of the lot and recorded the license plate number, then returned to the mall, informing police. Police spotted the vehicle and gave chase. The Blazer stopped abruptly and a passenger, later identified by the witness as Baker, fled on foot. The driver, Gregory Lawrence, was arrested. Baker was arrested a short time later, found to have blood on his shoe, sock, and leg.
Subsequent testing revealed that the blood was Tyson's. Officers also found Tyson's purse and wallet in the path of Baker's flight. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered from the Blazer, and fingerprints from Baker's right hand were found on the driver's side of Tyson's vehicle. Lawrence was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Leading up to: All day long, Baker had visited with friends and family. He had spoken to others by telephone. According to his lawyers, he talked about movies and memories. They said he again expressed remorse for the shooting that left a 49-year-old grandmother dying on a mall parking lot in front of her grandchildren. He joked that he still needed to lose 40 pounds.
Last words and such: At 9:07 p.m., the lights went out. A prison official cleared his throat. A shadow appeared at the window behind the curtains. At 9:08 p.m., they opened. There were no last words. No one asked Baker whether he wished to say something. The Rev. Charles Canterna -- a priest known as "Father Chuck" who ministers to parishioners at St. Vincent DePaul Roman Catholic Church and to inmates at the Supermax prison, including those on death row -- stood beside Baker. He touched the condemned man's forehead and his chest, nodding his head in prayer. He stepped back near the back wall.
Factoids: Baker was the...
58th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
1002nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Maryland in 2005
5th murderer executed in Maryland since 1976
About 50 death penalty opponents protested the execution outside under light snow. Minutes before 9 p.m. they began to sing "Amazing Grace," and at the appointed execution time of 9 p.m., they broke into "This Little Light of Mine all around death row, I'm going to let it shine." (Ed. Note: We asked for a better song and we got it. Though we can't see how you can get all those words in the first line).
At one point, inmates inside the facility started a chant of their own -- "Don't kill him! Don't kill him!" -- that was audible on the street below. The silhouettes of their fists pumping in the air could be seen through a window in the building's upper reaches.
Baker's execution was carried out despite the efforts of death penalty foes, who said the state has yet to fully review a 2003 study of capital punishment in Maryland that concluded race and geography play roles in how death sentences are meted out in the state. The case of Baker, a black man convicted of killing a white victim in Baltimore County, fit many of the purported disparities revealed by the study.
SOUTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
SHAWN PAUL HUMPHRIES
December 2, 2005
...Humphries would have preferred to have been the 1,000th person executed...
Last Meal: Humphries requested a McDonald's hamburger, french fries, broccoli and cheese, oat cereal, and a Dr. Pepper.
The skinny: Humphries was put to death for the1994 murder of a store clerk.
More skinny: Humphries and accomplice Eddie Blackwell drank beer together for most of the day, then entered a Max-Saver convenience store with the intention of robbing the store. The owner of the store, asked Humphries whether he wanted anything. Humphries flashed a gun he had stolen the night before and replied he wanted money. There was some evidence to suggest the man then reached under the counter to get a gun. When he reached under the counter, Humphries fired a shot in the man's direction and fled from the store. The bullet fired by Humphries struck the owner in the head, killing him. Blackwell slumped to the ground in the store and was arrested. Humphies was apprehended later that day and immediately confessed. The crime was captured on videotape.
Blackwell was also convicted of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Leading up to: Humphries' lawyer said that he would have preferred to have been the 1,000th person executed nationwide since the death penalty was reinstated, so that his death would be a milestone. "In his view, No. 1,000 is sort of a landmark," the lawyer said.
Humphries requested permission to watch "The Wizard of Oz" and was given a TV and VCR, his lawyer brought him the videotape Friday morning. Officials said he played the tape, though he spent much of the time talking to family and friends on the phone and eating a last meal including a McDonald's hamburger and a Dr. Pepper.
Last words and such: Before the curtains opened at 6:03 p.m., the victim's widow looked toward other family members and whispered "I can't do it," and walked out of the viewing area without witnessing her husband's killer be put to death.
Then Humphries' attorney read a one-and-a-half-page handwritten statement from the death chamber before the execution in which Humphries apologized for the killing and used Bible verses to criticize the death penalty. "I hope that my execution brings the Smith family some peace," he wrote. "But now I want to say something to everyone who supports this or any execution. We are all sinners, so what gives you the right as a sinner to take away a gift that God gave?"
At the end of the statement, Humphries looked toward the victim's sisters and mouthed "I'm sorry." One sister nodded in response. It appeared that a tear rolled down Humphries' cheek after the exchange.
Factoids: Humphries was the...
57th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
1001st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in South Carolina in 2005
35th murderer executed in South Carolina since 1976
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
KENNETH LEE BOYD
December 2, 2005
...1,000...
Last Meal: Boyd requested a medium-well New York strip steak, a baked potato with sour cream, a roll with butter, a salad with ranch dressing and a Pepsi. Officials said he was pleased with his last meal.
The skinny: Boyd was executed for gunning down his estranged wife and father-in-law 17 years ago
More skinny: Boyd and his wife had an extremely stormy marriage for 13 years before she left and moved herself and her children in with her father. Boyd repeatedly stalked her, once handing one of their sons a bullet and a note to give his mother that said the bullet was intended for her.
On March 4, 1988 Boyd drove around with his boys, telling them that he was going to go and kill everyone at his father-in-law's home. When they arrived, he entered the home and shot and killed both his wife and her father with a .357 Magnum pistol. One of the woman's sons was pinned under his mother's body as Boyd continued to fired at her. The child scrambled out from beneath his mom's body and wriggled under a nearby bed to escape the hail of bullets.
When Boyd tried to reload the pistol, another son tried to grab it. Boyd went to the car, reloaded his gun, came back into the house and called 911, telling the emergency operator, "I've shot my wife and her father - come on and get me." Then more gunshots can be heard on the 911 recording. Law enforcement officers arrived and as they approached, Boyd came out of the nearby woods with his hands up and surrendered to the officers. Later, after being advised of his rights, Boyd gave a lengthy confession
The whole 1.000th thing: Boyd, 57, did not deny the killings. But he said he thought he should be sentenced to life in prison, and he didn't like the milestone his death would mark. "I'd hate to be remembered as that," Boyd told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I don't like the idea of being picked as a number."
The Supreme Court in 1976 ruled that capital punishment could resume after a 10-year moratorium. The first execution took place the following year, when Gary Gilmore went before a firing squad in Utah. Gilmore donated his eyes for transplant, inspiring a British punk rock song.
Almost 1,500 people died at the hands of the inmates executed during the past 28 years, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Boyd's attorney Thomas Maher, said the "execution of Kenneth Boyd has not made this a better or safer world. If this 1,000th execution is a milestone, it's a milestone we should all be ashamed of. In Boyd's pleas for clemency, his attorneys said he served in Vietnam where he operated a bulldozer and was shot at by snipers daily, which contributed to his crimes.
Last words and such: In the execution chamber, Boyd smiled at daughter-in-law Kathy Smith -- wife of a son from Boyd's first marriage -- and a minister from his home county. He asked Smith to take care of his son and two grandchildren and she mouthed through the thick glass panes separating execution and witness rooms that her husband was waiting outside. In his final words, Boyd said: "God bless everybody in here."
Factoids: Boyd was the...
56th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
1000th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in North Carolina in 2005
39th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
One press account...Boyd's death rallied death penalty opponents, and about 150 protesters gathered outside the prison.
or
Another press account:
As the 2 a.m. death hour approached, hundreds of death penalty opponents protested outside the prison.
One held a large white cross. Another held a large yellow peace sign. At the end of the sidewalk stood a hangman's gallows. At 11:27 p.m., about 20 protesters tried to get to the prison to stop the execution. The group dashed past the line of officers standing guard at the top of the prison's driveway. A few got as far as 15 feet down the driveway. As police stopped them, other protesters clapped, cheered and sang "We Shall Overcome." (Ed. Note: Please, please find a new song) Police soon handcuffed the arrestees and loaded them into a bus and a police van.
or...
About 100 death-penalty opponents gathered on a sidewalk outside the prison where they held candles and read the names of the other 999 convicts who have been put to death.
Thirty-eight of the 50 U.S. states and the federal government permit capital punishment.
Singapore, which has the world's highest execution rate relative to population, also carried out a death penalty on Friday. The hanging of Australian drugs trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van went ahead despite repeated Australian government pleas for clemency.
An October 2005 Gallup poll found that 64 percent of all Americans support capital punishment in murder cases.
november, 2005
OHIO LAST MEAL
JOHN R. HICKS
November 29, 2005
...999...
Last Meal: Hicks had a last meal request of two steaks, a baked potato, salad, bread, apple pie, a soft drink and potato chips.
The skinny: Hicks, 49, was executed for killing his mother-in-law and 5-year-old stepdaughter after a cocaine binge 20 years ago.
More skinny: The Los Angeles Dodgers were playing the Cincinnati Reds the night John Hicks told his wife he was going to a ballgame while she worked the night shift at a downtown bank. Instead, Hicks spent the last of his money getting high on cocaine and, before the night was over, strangled his wife's mother and suffocated his wife's 5-year-old daughter.
Hicks was a cocaine and alcohol addict. He took the VCR from his own home, pawned it, and purchased cocaine. When he realized his wife would become angry when she found out what he had done, he decided to rob his mother in law. He telephoned her to say he was coming around. When he arrived around 11pm he put his stepdaughter to bed. He then approached the victim from behind and strangled her with his own hands. To make sure she was really dead he used a length of clothesline. He searched her bedroom and stole $300 and some credit cards.
After buying more cocaine, he realized his stepdaughter would place him at the scene of the crime and could be a potential witness. He returned and smothered her with a pillow. When this failed to kill his stepdaughter, he tried to use his own hands, and then duct taped her mouth and nose. He attempted to dismember the mother-in-law in the bathtub, but gave up after nearly cutting one of her legs off.
Two days later he was arrested in Knoxville, Tennessee, confessing to the crimes.
Leading up to: On his last night alive, Hicks spoke to his mother, brother and a friend by phone. A death row minister, Rev. Gary Sims, counseled him. In his final days and hours, Hicks remained calm and compliant, reading the Bible, listening to the radio and talking with Sims.
Last words and such: Hicks walked 17 steps into the death chamber where he was strapped to a bed that was bolted to the floor. He asked for his glasses, which the warden placed on his face. He looked to the left into the witness chamber searching for recognizable faces.
He then spoke his last words: "I know it's been 20 years of pain and hurt, but during those 20 years I suffered, too. I cared and I loved, too, for Maxine and Brandy. It began with a syringe in my arm and this day is ending with a needle in my arm. It's come full circle." He thanked his attorneys and singled out four death row inmates to "hang in there and stay strong. Take care, 'cause I'm coming home.Lord, hallelujah.Yes, thank you."
Factoids: Hicks was the...
55th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
999th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Ohio in 2005
19th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
Hicks asked for clemency but Gov. Bob Taft said he had offered no reason to justify it.
Seven Ohio inmates were executed last year, second-highest in the nation after Texas.
ARKANSAS LAST MEAL
ERIC RANDALL NANCE
November 28, 2005
Last Meal: Nance had a final meal request of two bacon cheeseburgers, French fries, two pints of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and two cans of Coca-Cola.
The skinny: Nance was executed for murdering an 18-year old Malvern cheerleader by stabbing her in the throat with a box cutter after coming upon her standing by her broken-down car.
More skinny: The girl's vehicle was discovered abandoned. A week later, her body was found on rural property approximately 7.5 miles from her vehicle. Although the autopsy failed to reveal the cause or manner of death, medical evidence showed likely trauma to the head, and defects to her clothing were consistent with a cutting wound.
At trial, Nance's brother and sister testified that, after initially denying any involvement in the crime, Nance later stated that he had accidentally killed the victim. Nance told them that the victim's automobile had broken down on the road, that he picked her up, that his work knife slid out of his pocket, that as he moved to put the knife in the glove compartment, the victim turned started kicking him, that he put his hand up to keep her from kicking and hitting him, and that the knife fatally lodged in her throat.
A little more than a year later, the girl’s mother committed suicide.
The trial: In the sentencing phase, the State presented as evidence six prior felony convictions stemming from Nance's rape and beating of two Oklahoma girls in 1982. Nance was released from his twenty-year sentence for those convictions five months before he killed the girl.
Last words and such: Nance was executed after a delay of more than an hour while a U.S. Supreme Court justice reviewed his appeals.
Nance, 45, remained silent when asked if he wished to make a final statement. Witnesses said his eyes remained closed.
Factoids: Nance was the...
54th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
998th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Arkansas in 2005
27th murderer executed in Arkansas since 1976
About 30 protesters gathered briefly outside the Governor's Mansion on Monday night and sang "Amazing Grace." They also lit candles to remember previous inmates executed in Arkansas.
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
ELIAS HANN SYRIANI
November 18, 1005
Last Meal: Syriani had no final meal request.
The skinny: Syriani, a 67-year-old immigrant who stabbed his wife to death with a screwdriver after she threatened divorce was executed by injection.
More skinny: Syriani and his wife were separated. Syriani was living in a motel, and his wife with their children in their home. One night shortly before midnight, Syriani drove to their home. As his wife drove her car onto a nearby street, Syriani blocked her way with his van. He got out of his van, gestured, and chased after her car as she put it in reverse. As his wife sat in her car, he began stabbing her with a screwdriver through the open door or window, while their ten-year-old son sat in the seat beside her.
The boy was unable to stop his father, got out and ran home to get his older sister. At least two neighbors watched from their homes as dSyriani stabbed his wife and then walked away. The wife died twenty-eight days later. She suffered numerous stab wounds in the attack, the fatal wound a three-inch deep puncture wound to the right temple. Syriani stopped at a nearby fire station for first aid, claiming he was battered by his wife. He was covered in blood, but had only some light scratches on his arm and shoulder. Police were called and he was arrested. The murder weapon, a screwdriver, was never found.
Leading up to: Syriani visited and hugged his children beforehand after 15 years locked away from their touch. The children - including the son who witnessed the attack and testified against Syriani - argued that letting him live would allow them to restore their connection to their mother.
Russ Sizemore, a lawyer representing the children, said it was "incomprehensible" that Easley denied clemency after hearing from Rose, Janet and John Syriani and Sarah Barbari, who had been raised by their aunt and uncle in Chicago after their mother died.
Last words and such: (Prepared Statement: "I want to thank God first for everything that happened in my life. I want to thank my children. I want to thank my family, especially my sister, Odeet. I want to thank all the beautiful friends who share with me my sufferings for 15 years and four months and they so encouraged me, specifically Mr. and Mrs. Meg Eggleston who become a sister to me. She helped me a lot to accept everything. I thank everyone from the staff, nurses, chaplains. I thank everyone.")
"I love you," he said to the Egglestons. "I love everybody." Over the next 10 minutes he smiled, grimaced, cried. Mostly he talked to the Egglestons. He mouthed each word carefully. We could pick up only fragments. "I want them to be happy." "Fifteen years." "I hope ... I hope ... I really loved her."
Factoids: Syriani ws the....
53rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
997th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in North Carolina in 2005
38th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
Gov. Mike Easley denied clemency Thursday.
Nationally, clemency was granted 186 times - including 167 commutations by the Illinois governor in 2003 - between 2001 and 2005, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
SHANNON CHARLES THOMAS
NOVEMBER 16, 2005
...Relatives bringing Christmas gifts to the home were greeted with the horror of discovering the three bodies...
Last Meal: Thomas has no final meal request.
The skinny: Thomas was executed for a Christmas Eve killing spree that left a man and two of his children dead.
More skinny: On Christmas Eve in Baytown, Police discovered the body of a man in the living room of his home, his arms and torso were bound with duct tape, and he was covered in blood. He had been shot three times, twice in the head, and slashed with a steak knife that remained embedded in his neck. His two children, an 11 year old and a 10 year old, were found upstairs in the girl's room. Both were dead, lying facedown on the floor, side-by-side. Each had a single, fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Thomas and Keith Bernard Clay had been past drug customers of the man, but on that Christmas Eve, they would later tell police, the pair came to the home looking to take the small time dope peddler for everything he had. The children were executed to eliminate witnesses.
Relatives bringing Christmas gifts to the home were greeted with the horror of discovering the three bodies.
Less than two weeks later, Thomas and Clay would be involved in another murder in Baytown. This time their target was a clerk at the Airwood Grocery Store on Park Street. Clay entered the convenience store and fired 10 shots at the man, hitting him six times. If that was not enough, the clerk was also beaten with the pistol. Thomas was the getaway driver.
Clay was executed on March 20, 2003 for the Varughese murder.
Wheels of justice turn slowly: It was almost two years before any arrests were made in the slayings. Thomas and Clay apparently told friends about the murders. When one of those friends was arrested on a drug charge, he gave police information implicating the two.
Uh, okay: On a Web site where death row inmates seek pen pals, he described himself as "a very honest person and those are the type of people with whom I choose to associate myself with."
Money quote: "When you're at a murder scene looking at dead kids and there's Christmas presents around and you look at the TV and 'It's A Wonderful Life' is playing, it took me five years before I could watch that movie again," a Baytown detective said Tuesday.
Last words and such: "I want you to be strong and get through this time. Do not fall back. Keep going forward. Don't let this hinder you. Let everybody know I love them." Thomas mentioned several people by their first names, telling his sister to tell them he loved them and to stay strong. "This is kind of hard to put words together. I am nervous and it is hard to put my thoughts together. Sometimes you don't know what to say. I hope these words give you comfort. ... Let everybody know I love them and love is unconditional as mama always told us. I may be gone in flesh but I am always with you in spirit."
Factoids: Thomas was the....
52nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
996th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
19th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
355th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ROBERT DALE ROWELL
November 15, 2005
...Rowell earned his GED and associate's degree in prison...
Last Meal: Rowell has no final meal request.
The skinny: Rowell, 50. a habitual drug user, was executed for the slayings of two people at a Houston crack house 12 years ago.
More skinny: Rowell went to the Houston home of one of the victims before dawn complaining about paying too much for some crack cocaine and looking for dope and money. The second victim and her husband were also living in the home, variously described as a "crack house" at trial. Holding a gun, Rowell told the couple he would shoot them if they tried to leave. After Rowell went into the owner’s room, and the two heard a thumping sound followed by owner screaming for Rowell to stop hitting him.
After about three minutes, the owner and Rowell went to the couple’s bedroom. The owner was staggering, covered in blood. Rowell ordered the trio to get into the bathtub; he then shot all three. The woman died from a gunshot wound, and the man was bleeding from wounds to the the back of his head inflicted with a claw hammer. The husband was seriously wounded but survived to testify against Rowell. Rowell then proceeded to take a shower and clean himself up.
Police arrested Rowell where he worked, finding a .22 caliber revolver with six spent cartridge casings in the chamber, the gun case, and one of the victim’s bank bag in his work area.
Priors...lotsa priors: In 1974, Rowell was convicted and sentenced for robbery and paroled. In 1980, he was convicted and sentenced for a string of armed robberies, exchanging gunfire with an off-duty policeman in one case, and received a 30 year sentence. While in prison he was convicted of manslaughter for stabbing to death another inmate and sentenced to 8 years. He was freed under mandatory parole in 1991, two years before the capital murders.
No Love: Unlike many of his fellow inmates on death row, Robert Dale Rowell never got much television airtime or received much newspaper ink. The 50-year-old walked into Texas' death chamber tonight a virtual unknown, the 18th inmate to be put to death this year.
No public campaign was been waged on his behalf. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty issued a routine alert on Rowell's execution that does little more than lay out the facts of his case. A last-minute reprieve was unlikely. His lawyers did not claim he was mentally retarded or that his trial attorney fell asleep in court. His appeals were exhausted last month when the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review his case or his claim that the trial judge should have given the jury better instructions.
Last words and such: “I would like to apologize to the victims' family and all the grief I have caused them,” Robert Dale Rowell said in a brief final statement as the mother, sister and brother of one of his victims watched through a window. “I would like to say I love the girls next to them,” he said, referring to six women he selected to watch him die. Several of them sobbed. Then he said, “Praise the Lord. Let's go warden. That's it.” Rowell, 50, snorted twice as the drugs began taking effect. He was pronounced dead nine minutes later.
Factoids: Rowell was the...
51st murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
995th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
18th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
354th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
One other execution is scheduled in Texas for December. If carried out, the 20 lethal injections would be three less than a year ago. A record 40 were carried out in 2000.
Rowell earned his GED and associate's degree in prison.
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
STEVEN VAN MCHONE
November 11, 2005
Last Meal: McHone has a final meal request for a medium-rare Porterhouse steak, steak fries, chocolate cheesecake and a 20-ounce Mountain Dew.
The skinny: McHone was executed for the shooting deaths of his mother and stepfather.
More skinny: After a family fishing trip, the two victims and other relatives returned to the couple's home. Their son, McHone, who was 19 at the time, was there and started arguing with his mother about money. McHone had been living at home while on probation for some larceny convictions. The mother told the others a handgun was missing, and three gunshots were heard a short time later coming from the back yard. McHone had shot the woman in the back of the head and left her face down and injured in the back yard. McHone then found a shotgun and shot his stepfather inside the house. The shootings ended when Wesley Adams Jr., took away the gun and held McHone down until police arrived.
Witnesses testified that McHone drank 1 1/2 bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey and a pitcher of beer and might have taken drugs before the killings.
Leading up to: Starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, McHone, 35, began having the first contact visits with his family and friends since he arrived on death row 14 years ago.
McHone lost his last chance to halt the execution when Gov. Mike Easley denied clemency late Thursday. That decision was announced after the U.S. Supreme Court turned down McHone's appeal without comment. The court rejected the appeal from McHone's lawyers to stop the execution so that his mother's dying statement that he didn't intend to shoot her could be considered.
Final words and such: He issued no last statement, but appeared to say "I'm so sorry," to half brother Wesley Adams Jr., who supported the execution and drove from Ohio to witness it.
"We have sympathy and pray for comfort for those who will grieve Steve's passing," Adams said in a statement. "We do, however, feel that justice was upheld and that this fate was sealed many years ago."
Other family members had sought clemency.
Factoids: McHone was the....
50th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
994th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in North Carolina in 2005
37th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
CHARLES DANIEL THACKER
November 9, 2005
Last Meal: Thacker had a final meal request of two double cheeseburgers, French fries with ketchup, onion rings, fajitas, two Mountain Dews, two Coca-Colas, two Dr. Peppers, guacamole dip with tortilla chips, four slices of pepperoni pizza, one chocolate chip, two slices of double chocolate cake and two pints of ice cream.
The skinny: Thacker, 37, a convicted serial rapist was executed for the strangling and attempted rape of an elementary school teacher 12 years ago.
More skinny: The victim was returning from a trip to the grocery store when she stopped to retrieve her mail at her apartment complex. Thacker accosted her, then dragged her into a nearby women's bathroom. Witnesses at Thacker's trial testified that they noticed Thacker lurking around the mailboxes about an hour before Crawford was attacked. A building resident noticed Crawford's keys hanging from her mailbox, which led to a search of the grounds. Eventually a maintenance worker checked the bathroom. Thacker burst out, sprayed the maintenance worker with pepper spray and ran into a heavily wooded area. A short time later, Houston police with tracking dogs found Thacker hiding behind a house in the woods. The woman was placed on life support and she died two days later.
The trial: During the trial, several female witnesses, 13 to 64, testified about their encounters with Thacker, many of them saying they were raped and nearly strangled. During the penalty phase of the trial, Thacker's mother told the jury that her son had been molested as a child by a man she had dated and begged that his life be spared. The jury returned a sentence of death in only about two hours.
Priors: Before the capital conviction, Thacker served a little less than four years of two concurrent 12-year sentences he received in 1988 for robbery and sexual assault. Five months after his release, he beat and nearly stabbed to death a 62-year-old woman who had stayed late at a church.
From his website: Thacker declined to be interviewed in the weeks leading up to his execution, but on a Web site where death row inmates seek pen pals acknowledged he was in the area when Crawford was attacked "up to no good with two other guys looking for stuff to steal and sell." There was no evidence of others involved. On his Web site, Thacker suggested the woman accidentally died because of CPR efforts.
Last words and such: Thacker, strapped onto a gurney and in a slightly quivering voice, thanked his two witnesses, volunteer prison ministers. "Jack and Irene, I love you guys. Tell my family I love them. I am sorry for the things I have done. I know God will forgive me." Thacker asked that his daughter be cared for. "Keep track of Danielle for me. I will miss you guys. I love you. I guess that's all." He also said he was looking forward to seeing his deceased mother. Thacker also asked his witnesses to tell his attorney that "they couldn't find a vein on my arm."
Factoids: Thacker was the....
49th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
993rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
17th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
353rd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
SOUTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
HASTINGS ARTHUR WISE
November 4, 2005
...These guys are no longer scared to be put to death ....
Last Meal: Wise's final meal request was lobster tail, french fries, cole slaw, banana pudding and milk.
The skinny: Wise was put to death by lethal injection for killing four workers at an Aiken County plant in September 1997 out of revenge for being fired.
More skinny: After 4 years working at the Aiken Lawn Mower Ignition Plant, Wise was fired after a violent confrontation with a supervisor. He returned to the plant weeks later for revenge.
A ecurity guard watched Wise pull up in his car at the 3 p.m. shift change and, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, Wise fired a bullet into the man's chest, yanked out the phone lines in the guard shack and told the guard "I got things to do."
Entering through a side door, witnesses testified Wise went directly to the personnel office and shot a 56-year-old man twice in the back. The man had fired Wise two months earlier. Next up was the tool and dye area, where Wise had hoped to work. He began firing his pistol at everyone around, killing a 30-year-old and a 31-year-old and wounding two others. By then, panicked workers were scrambling to get out.
Wise kept going, finding a 27-year-old woman, who got a quality control job he wanted. He shot her in the back and leg, then put a bullet in her head. After that, Wise's path seemed random. He fired several more shots, but no one else was killed. Investigators found four empty magazines, capable of holding eight bullets each. Wise tried to commit suicide in the plant after the shootings by drinking insecticide, but it only made him sick.
At trial, he refused to let his lawyers call any witnesses to ask the jury to spare his life and has brushed off any attempts to appeal since he was sent to Death Row.
Psychiatrists testified Wise came back to the plant several weeks after he was fired because he was angry and felt he was a victim of racism. Wise was black and his four victims were white. Last words and such: Wise had no final words.
Factoids: Wise was the...
48th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
992nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in South Carolina in 2005
34th murderer executed in South Carolina since 1976
Wise was the sixth person put to death in South Carolina without using all their appeals since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. All have died by lethal injection instead of the electric chair, and Savitz said that’s not a coincidence. “Lethal injection has changed the dynamic of the whole thing,” Savitz said. “These guys are no longer scared to be put to death.”
Nationwide, 117 of the 989 inmates, or nearly 12 percent, put to death since the death penalty was reinstated had appeals left. The numbers fluctuate from year to year. In 2004, 10 of the 59 executions were done on volunteers. In 2003, it was just four deaths out of 65.
DELAWARE LAST MEAL
BRIAN D. "RED" STECKEL
November 4, 2005
...Steckel sent a copy of the victim's autopsy to her mother...
Last Meal: Steckel has a last meal of cheese steak, cole slaw and Pepsi.
The skinny: Brian Steckel was executed for a 1994 rape and murder.
More skinny: Steckel met the 29 year old victim approximately one week before her murder. Steckel gained access to her apartment by asking to use her telephone. Once inside, he pretended to use the phone, then demanded sexual favors. When she refused, Steckel beat her and threw her onto a couch.
During the struggle, she bit Steckel’s finger causing it to bleed. Steckel then strangled her with a pair of nylons then a sock, causing her to lose consciousness. Steckel then sexually assaulted her, first using a screw-driver he brought with him, and then by raping her anally. He then dragged her to the bedroom and set the bed on fire, then fled the scene.
Later the same day, the News Journal received an anonymous phone call from a male who identified himself as the “Driftwood Killer.” The man named his next victim by name. The News 4 Journal contacted the police, and the police brought the woman into protective custody.
The woman had previously reported to the police that she had been receiving harassing phone calls with a “very lurid, very sexual” content. The authorities had traced these calls to Steckel. Steckel was arrested in connection with an outstanding harassment warrant for the phone calls to the woman. During the interview, Steckel confessed in detail to his crimes against the victim, as well as other murders.
During his trial, Steckel sent a copy of the victim's autopsy to her mother, writing "Read it and weep. She's gone forever. Don't cry over burnt flesh."
Last words and such: He repeatedly apologized for his crimes, professed love for his family and supporters and said he accepted his punishment. ”I want to say I’m sorry for the cruel things I did. I’m not the same man I was when I came to jail. I changed. I’m a better man . . . I walked in here without a fight and I accept my punishment. It is time to go. I love you people.” He also told his cousin and a friend who were witnesses to his death to tell his 12-year-old daughter, “I said no excuses.”
Steckel’s execution seemed to take longer than usual, said witnesses who had seen previous executions in Delaware. Steckel spoke for nearly 12 minutes, whereas other executions have generally taken about three minutes. Twice, before he closed his eyes, he said “goodbye” and appeared to brace himself, only to look around and continue talking. At one point, he looked up at warden Thomas Carroll to say, “I didn’t think it would take this long.”
Prison officials said there was no malfunction or problem with the execution. Carroll just allowed Steckel more time.
Factoids: Steckle was the...
47th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
991st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Delaware in 2005
14th murderer executed in Delaware since 1976
About 60 demonstrators staged rallies for and against the death penalty outside the prison. Among them was Johnny Hall, 43, one of two men who tried in vain to pull the victim from her burning apartment. Hall was carrying a sign that said, "I was there. I watched her die." "I feel that this man needs to die, and I'm out here to make sure that my opinion is out here," he said.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
MELVIN WAYNE WHITE
November 3, 2005
...Warning: This is a bad one....
Last Meal: For his last meal, White requested a four egg Spanish omelets with gravy and hash brown potatoes on the side, six pieces of buttered toast, a gallon of milk, sliced peppers, onion rings, french fries, a cheeseburger, a pork chop and gravy, fried chicken, six slices of bread, a pitcher of ice, two Cokes, peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream.
The skinny: White was executed for the abduction, sexual assault and murder of a 9-year-old girl.
More skinny: White abducted his 9-year-old neighbor from a neighborhood summer barbeque, bound her hands with electrical tape, drove her to a deserted area north of Ozona, took her behind a water tank, sexually assaulted her, then killed her by striking her six to seven times on the head with a tire tool. Witnesses observed White driving a truck with a young girl in the passenger seat shortly before midnight the evening of the barbecue. White was arrested and confessed to the murder, directing police to the body.
At trial, the jury learned that prior to the capital murder, White had assaulted his underaged daughter, forced her to perform oral sex, and raped her. White also offered his daughter $50 per week if she would provide him with sexual favors on demand. White had also fondled the genitals of a four-year-old female cousin and grabbed the breast of an unrelated teenaged girl visiting his home.
Leading up to: In a death row interview last week, White, 55, acknowledged the slaying, expressed regrets, said he didn't want to die but figured the state was doing him a favor by executing him. "I look at it as relief, just to get out of here," he said. "I've got to live with this for the rest of my life. It's not an easy deal to do."
Last words and such: White apologized to the mother of his young victim: “Tell Beth and them I am sorry, truly sorry for the pain that I caused your family. I truly mean that, too. She was a friend of mine and I betrayed her trust.” White then recited the 23rd Psalm and the Lords Prayer before saying, “All right, warden. Let's give them what they want.” As the drugs began taking effect, he remarked, "I can taste it."
Factoids: White was the....
46th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
990th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
16th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
352nd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
In May 2003, the girl's father, shot himself to death, a suicide the slain girl's grandmother, blamed on the loss of his daughter. “He just couldn't handle it.”
This would have been the girl's senior year of high school.
Three more convicted killers are set to die over the next two weeks.
october, 2005
MISSOURI LAST MEAL
MARLIN GRAY
October 26, 2005
..."This is not a death, it is a lynching"....
Last Meal: Gray declined a last meal and a sedative.
The skinny: Gray was executed for his role in the April 1991 rapes and murders of two young women who Gray and his friends encountered by chance after a night spent drinking and smoking marijuana.
More skinny: Gray and three companions encountered two sisters and their cousin. The two groups chatted briefly, then parted. After a few minutes, Gray and his group returned and sexually assaulted the sisters. The sisters and their cousin were pushed off the bridge. The cousin survived the 70-foot fall and swam ashore and testified at the trial of the three men and one teenager who were also on the bridge that night. One girl's body was recovered in Caruthersville three weeks later. The other body was never found.
The others: Daniel Winfrey, who was 15 at the time of the murders, is serving a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges, including two counts each of second-degree murder and forcible rape, and agreeing to testify against the other men. Reginald Clemens is on death row. The Missouri Supreme Court reduced Antonio Richardson's death sentence to life in prison because he was sentenced to death by a judge, not a jury.
Last words and such: In an interview Thursday, Gray said: "This is murder to me. I will not participate or let my family participate."
His last words... "I go forward now on wings built by the love and support of my family and friends. I go with a peace of mind that comes from never having taken a human life. I forgive those who have hardened their hearts to the truth and I pray they ask forgiveness for they know not what they do. This is not a death, it is a lynching."
Factoids: Gray was the...
45th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
989th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Missouri in 2005
66th murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
Gray's advocates and opponents of the death penalty have argued that the 38-year-old was not on the bridge when the girls were pushed to their deaths. There were 67 opponents and 4 in favor of the death penalty outside the prison.
OHIO LAST MEAL
WILLIE J. "FLIP" WILLIAMS. JR.
October 25, 2005
...Labor Day Massacre...
Last Meal: Williams opted not to request the customary special dinner that condemned inmates are allowed to choose before execution. Williams had asked only for a cup of coffee.
The skinny: Williams, a cocaine dealer, was executed for killing four men in a bid to seize control of the drug trade in a Youngstown housing project.
In a city once called the nation's crime capital, Williams' wanted to be like the dons of the Youngstown underworld who had battled for control of rackets as part of a feud between the Cleveland and Pittsburgh mobs. According to police and prosecutors, he may have killed up to 10 other people but never was charged.
More skinny: Williams had returned to his hometown of Youngstown in 1991 after serving a prison stint in California for dealing cocaine and sought to reclaim control of drug sales in a public housing project.
In what became known as the "Labor Day Massacre," Williams recruited three juvenile accomplices: his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Jessica M. Cherry; her brother, Dominic M. Cherry; and Dominic Cherry's seventeen-year-old "cousin", Broderick Boone to set up the three men who had taken over the drug trade.
Williams equipped the juveniles with walkie-talkies, guns, and diagrams of the home of one of his rivals. The juveniles entered the home and subdued one victim, then Williams entered. Two others were lured to the location. They were bound, along with a friend who came to visit, a recently discharged Air Force Sgt. Going from room to room, Williams shot each of the four victims in the head with one of the victim's gun.
The group left the house but Williams went back in “to make sure they were all dead”. Later, back at his apartment, Williams embraced his juvenile accomplices and rewarded them with drugs. He warned them not to tell anyone what they had done or he would kill them.
Shortly after his arrest as a suspect in the murders, Williams and a group of other inmates escaped from a county jail. A few months later, he broke into a juvenile jail where his three accomplices in the murders were being held, apparently intending to kill them because they had cooperated with police. Williams took a guard and a receptionist hostage but was unable to get in and eventually surrendered peacefully.
Last words and such: Before Williams died, he winked and blew a kiss to his adult daughter, Jameka, and thanked her and his brother and uncle for being witnesses. "I'm not going to waste no time talking about my lifestyle, my case, my punishment. Y'all stick together. Don't worry about me. I'm OK."
Factoids: Williams was the...
44th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
988th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Ohio in 2005
18th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
Two other inmates are slated for execution next month.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
LUIS RAMIREZ
October 20. 2005
..."I didn't even have a parking ticket on my record."....
Last Meal: Ramirez had no final meal request.
The skinny: Ramirez was executed for organizing and carrying out a murder-for-hire scheme that culminated with the shotgun slaying of a firefighter who was dating his ex-wife.
More skinny: The victim had been dating Ramirez's ex-wife. Ramirez remained obsessed with his ex-wife some two years after a divorce. Working with accomplice, Ramirez lured the man to a house under the pretense of repair job. The victim had a side job as an appliance repairman. He was handcuffed, taken to a chicken coop, shot twice with a shotgun and then buried on the rural property.
The body was found there more than a week later, after he had been reported missing when he failed to show up for work. An informant told police Ramirez had offered him $1,000 to participate in the killing but that money instead was paid to Edward Bell, who later was arrested in Tyler. Inside Bell's wallet were Ramirez's business card, a hand-drawn map to the home of Ramirez's ex-wife, a description of her vehicle and license plate number, all in Ramirez's handwriting. Also in Bell's vehicle was a pair of jeans covered with the victim's blood.
Bell's girlfriend took detectives to a spot where she said Bell tossed a pair of latex gloves. They found a glove and the keys to the victim's truck. Bell was convicted and received a life prison term. Ramirez got death. Ramirez has maintained his innocence.
Leading up to: "I didn't do this," Ramirez told a reporter in an interview the week before his execution. "I have no idea who did. I didn't even have a parking ticket on my record." Ramirez said that he was seventy miles away at the time of the murder, checking on some property.
Last words and such: "I did not kill your loved one. I wish I could tell you the reason why or give you some kind of solace. You lost someone you love very much, the same as my family and friends are going to lose in a few minutes. I am sure he died unjustly, just like I am. I did not murder him. I did not have anything to do with his death. It's OK. It's all right. I'm not afraid.''
Tom Green County District Attorney Steve Lupton and first assistant Bryan Clayton each said they have no doubt Ramirez deserved his end. ''What amazes me is that someone who's about to meet his maker lies until the very end,'' Clayton said. ''It underscores what a dangerous person he was.''
Factoids: Ramirez was the....
43rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
987th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
15th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
351st murderer executed in Texas since 1976
A handful of protesters stood at the end of the block on which the historic Huntsville ''Walls'' unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is located - yellow police tape and a sheriff's deputy barring them from coming closer.
As with all executions performed in Texas, Ramirez was killed in the historic, imposing red-brick building, constructed in 1848.
Texas has seven executions scheduled before the end of 2005.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
RONALD RAY HOWARD
October 6, 2005
...."That was a totally valid serious defense"...
Last Meal: Howard had no final meal request.
The skinny: Ronald Ray Howard was executed for fatally shooting a state trooper, a slaying his trial attorneys argued was prompted by Howard's listening to anti-police rap music.
More skinny: A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a vehicle for having a broken headlight. The driver of the vehicle, Ronald Ray Howard, shot the man in the neck. The vehicle Howard was driving was stolen. At least eight people witnessed the shooting and provided a description of the gunman. Howard fled the scene of the shooting, but he was arrested within a couple of hours after a police chase during which he lost control of his vehicle and struck a horse. He had the murder weapon, a nine millimeter handgun loaded with hollow point bullets, in his possession. Howard fled in the stolen GMC Jimmy to Victoria, Texas where he was captured Howard confessed to killing the trooper and repeated his confession to a grand jury.
The rap music defense: Defense attorneys argued at his trial that Howard's constant exposure to gangsta rap music and its anti-police messages influenced him to pull the trigger. "He grew up in the ghetto and disliked police, and these were his heroes, these rappers . . . telling him if you're pulled over, just blast away," his trial attorney, Allen Tanner, recalled last week. "It affected him. That was a totally valid serious defense."
Howard told a grand jury that he was listening to "Soulja's Story" by Tupac Shakur before the shooting. In the song, a black teenager is pulled over by police and opens fire: They finally pull me over and I laugh, "Remember Rodney King?", And I blast on his punk ass, Now I got a murder case.
Leading up to: In an interview Wednesday on death row, Howard recalled the trooper pulling him over on U.S. 59 for a broken headlight. "How you doing?" the trooper asked Howard, who was armed with a 9 mm pistol. "But I was already in motion," Howard said. "I'd already shot as I hear him saying that."
Howard said the trooper earlier had pulled alongside of him, sped off, then was waiting over a hill on the side of the road as Howard drove past. The trooper then flicked on his lights and pulled him over, Howard said. "I felt like I was being taunted," Howard said, adding that his previous encounters with police, particularly in his hometown of Houston, had soured him on police officers.
span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Last words and such: Asked if he had a final statement, Howard looked at the victim's family and said he hoped that "this helps a little. I don't know how, but I hope it helps." Then he turned to friends and a brother who were among his witnesses, expressing love and thanking them for finding two of his children, who visited him on death row within the past week. "Love you all. Thank you so much," he said. As the drugs were administered, he lifted his head from the gurney and mouthed that he loved them, urged them to be strong and said "I'm going home."
Factoids: Howard was the...
42nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
986th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
14th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
350th murderer executed in Texas since 1976.
september, 2005
INDIANA LAST MEAL
ALAN LEHMAN MATHENEY
September 28, 2005
...prison officials do not want inmates to consume too much the day of the execution ...
Last Meal: For his special meal he had chicken wings, a fried chicken dinner, large wedges of potatoes, corn on the cob, biscuits and a chocolate shake. The special dinner is prepared at a local restaurant. It is not called the last meal since it is served a day or two ahead of time. That's because prison officials do not want inmates to consume too much the day of the execution, much like a doctor asks patients not to eat before surgery.
The skinny: Matheney, 54, one of the most notorious killers on Indiana's Death Row, was executed by lethal injection for beating murder his ex-wife with a rifle butt while on an eight-hour furlough from the Correctional Industrial Facility. Matheney burst into the victim's home, caught her as she tried to run away and struck her in the head with a rifle so hard the weapon broke.
More skinny: Matheny was convicted and sent to prison in 1987 for Battery and Confinement of his ex-wife,. While in prison, Matheny had repeatedly expressed a desire to kill her, and attempted to solicit others to do so. After serving almost 2 years, he was given an 8-hour furlogh from Pendleton, where he was an inmate. Although the pass authorized a trip to Indianapolis, Matheny headed straight for St. Joseph County. Once there, he changed clothes and took a shotgun from a friend's house, then drove to Mishawaka. He parked the car in a lot two doors down from his ex-wife's house, then broke in through the back door. Bianco ran from the home, pursued by Matheny through the neighborhood. When he caught her, he beat her with the shotgun that broke into pieces. He then got into his car and drove away. The woman died as a result of this blunt force trauma.
One neighbor confronted Matheney and saw him get into a car and drive away. Matheney surrendered to a policeman later that afternoon.
This case generated massive amounts of publicity and led to state legislation requiring the Indiana DOC to notify victims of release from prison.
The state also agreed to pay $900,000 to the woman's estate and the couple's children, who were home at the time of the attack.
Last words and such: "I love my family and my children. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused them. I thank my friends who stood by me . . . I'm sure my grandchildren will grow up happy and healthy in the care of their wonderful parents," Matheney said in a final statement read by his lawyer, Steven Schutte
Factoids: Matheney was the...
41st murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
985th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Indiana in 2005
16th murderer executed in Indiana since 1976
Minutes before the execution took place, seven people stood outside the governor's residence with signs protesting the execution. "I call it the murder penalty," said Jennifer Cobb, 47. "I believe the state taking a life because that person took a life makes the state a hypocrite."
Last month, the governor spared the life of Arthur P. Baird II, who was diagnosed as severely mentally ill. In his order, Daniels noted Baird’s claim that he was mentally ill but emphasized that life without parole was not an option at the time of Baird’s sentencing and all jurors whose views were known had indicated they would have chosen that alternative if it was available. Daniels commuted the sentence to life without parole.
It was Indiana's fifth execution this year, the most since 1938 when the state put eight people to death.
OHIO LAST MEAL
HERMAN DALE ASHWORTH
September 27, 2005
...his white Adidas hightops hanging off the gurney's edge...
Last Meal: Ashworth all of his special meal about 4 p.m. Monday. He ate two cheeseburgers with lettuce and mayonnaise and french fries with ketchup, and drank one Dr. Pepper and one Mountain Dew. He refused breakfast offered to all inmates on Tuesday morning.
The skinny: Ashworth, who said he deserved to die was executed by lethal injection Tuesday for luring a man into an alley in 1996 and beating him to death for $40.
More skinny: Ashworth and the man, who had never met before, had a few drinks and were walking to a bar when Ashworth called him over to an alley and beat him with his fists and a 6-foot board and kicked him. The victim was beaten so badly a deputy coroner said his injuries were consistent with a high-speed traffic accident or plane crash.
After beating the man, Ashworth took about $40 from him and went back to a bar in Newark, about 30 miles east of Columbus. Ashworth told police that the victim, a divorced father of a then-12-year-old girl, came onto him and he freaked out.
Leading up to: Ashworth was not been able to have a final conversation with his parents.
An Ohio prisons spokeswoman says he stayed up through the night trying to call his adoptive parents in Louisiana, but phone lines are still down in that part of the country because of Hurricane Rita.
The parents were unable to travel to Ohio because the hurricane caused them to miss their flight.
Last words: "A life for a life, let it be done and justice will be served," Ashworth said in his final statement after taking a couple of labored breaths.
Ashworth breathed calmly as the execution started, then shook before his breaths became more rapid. Soon the 6-foot-4 Ashworth was motionless, his white Adidas hightops hanging off the gurney's edge.
Factoids: Ashworth was the....
40th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
984th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Ohio in 2005
17th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
The execution attracted about 120 protesters, mostly Roman Catholic high school and college students from the Cleveland area who paid $25 apiece to charter three buses. They set up sandwich boards outside the prison fence Tuesday morning with lists of those executed in Ohio and their pictures.
Meanwhile, inmates at the prison remained locked in their cells early Tuesday after an inmate was attacked and killed Monday.
A spokesperson said Monday's murder of the inmate was unrelated to the execution.
Rex Elam of Hamilton County, serving a sentence of 70 years to life for aggravated murder, robbery, rape, and kidnapping, was murdered by a fellow inmate armed with a shard of glass.
There are 196 men and one woman on Ohio's death row.
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
JOHN W. PEOPLES, JR.
September 22, 2005
...he wanted their 1968 red Corvette....
Last Meal: Peoples ate very little in the days before the execution and did not make the traditional request for a last meal,
The skinny: Peoples was executed Thursday for killing a family of three and driving off in their vintage sports car in 1983.
More skinny: The boy and his mother were beaten to death with a rifle, but the father's body was too decomposed by the time he was found for investigators to determine the cause of death. Prosecutors say Peoples killed the three because he wanted their 1968 red Corvette, and he was arrested after attempting to sell the car shortly after the killings. Peoples had argued that because he led investigators to the bodies, his attorney should have taken steps to get him a sentence less than the death penalty.
Peoples was arrested in the Corvette soon after the slayings.
Leading up to: In the final days leading up to his execution, Peoples argued that he had a right to die by electrocution, as his original death sentence stipulated, instead of lethal injection, a method Alabama adopted beginning July 1, 2002. The head of the state's death penalty appeals office, Assistant Attorney General Clay Crenshaw, said the execution should be allowed to go forward since Peoples could have requested death in the electric chair but didn't.
Peoples spent Thursday morning visiting with several relatives, including his mother, two daughters and son. He left $186.19 to his brother.
Last words and such: Peoples did not look at or offer an apology to relatives of the victims, instead thanking his own family for their support. "I hope I've handled everything since I've been here with dignity," he said in his final statement as he faced his brother.
Factoids: Peoples was the....
39th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
983rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Alabama in 2005
34th murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
FRANCES NEWTON
September 14, 2005
...Three weeks prior to the murders, Newton purchased a $50,000 life insurance policy on herself, another on her husband and a third on her daughter....
Last Meal: No last meal request.
The skinny: Frances Newton was executed for the fatal shootings of her husband and two children 18 years ago, becoming the third woman, and first black woman, to be put to death in Texas since executions resumed in 1982.
More skinny: On April 7, 1987, police were dispatched to an apartment complex on a report of a possible shooting. The deputy found the bodies of a 23 year old man and two children, 23 month old and 7 year old. Each had been shot to death with a .25 caliber handgun. The man's wife, Frances, and her cousin were at the location when the deputy arrived. Earlier in the evening, Newton took a blue bag out of her car and put it in an abandoned house which belonged to her parents. A homicide detective later recovered the bag, which containing a .25 automatic pistol. A ballistics expert established that the pistol was the murder weapon. Gunpowder residue was found on Newton's skirt. Three weeks prior to the murders, Newton purchased a $50,000 life insurance policy on herself, another on her husband and a third on her daughter. Newton, the primary beneficiary on the latter two policies, made claims on the policies following the killings.
Newton believed the real killer is or may be related to a drug dealer she knew only as "Charlie," who she said was upset with her husband for not repaying a $500 debt.
Newton didn't deny putting a gun in her 7-year-old son's knapsack and stashing the bag at an abandoned house. But she and her lawyers argued the .25-caliber blue steel revolver she hid was not the one used to fatally shoot her family.
Last words and such: Strapped to the death chamber gurney and with her parents among the people watching, she declined to make a final statement, quietly saying "no" and shaking her head when the warden asked if she would like to speak. Newton, 40, briefly turned her head to make eye contact with her family as the drugs began flowing. She appeared to attempt to mouth something to her relatives, but the drugs took effect.
Factoids: Newton was the...
38th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
982nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
13th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
349th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
Newton is the fifth woman known to have been executed in Texas. A black slave named Lucy is thought to have been the first in 1858. Two female murderers, both white, have been put to death since Texas resumed executions in 1982 after a brief national ban on capital punishment imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
About 50 demonstrators chanted outside but the crowd paled in comparison to the group of hundreds that assembled in 1998 to protest the execution of Karla Faye Tucker, who was the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War.
Local black leaders warned Tuesday of divine and political repercussions if condemned killer Frances Newton was executed tonight in Huntsville.
august, 2005
MISSOURI LAST MEAL
TIMOTHY JOHNSTON
August 31, 2005
...Johnston called his wife a "whore" and indicated he had grown tired of her infidelities..,
Last Meal: Fried chicken, catfish, fries, cole slaw, apple pie and Dr. Pepper.
The skinny: Timothy Johnston, 44, was executed for the beating murder of his 27-year-old wife in front of her 11-year-old son in 1989.
More skinny: Police and paramedics responded to a 911 call from the home of Timothy Johnston. Johnston directed them to "hurry up, inside. She is in here. She needs help." The sidewalk and porch were bloody.
Inside, his wife was lying on the floor with her otherwise nude upper body draped with a shirt, her face and torso swollen and bloody. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene.
When informed that his wife was dead, Johnston flew into a rage and ordered the officers and paramedics to leave and screamed that he knew a motorcycle gang that wanted "to get back at him" had killed his wife. The police officers, now at a murder scene, did not leave.
Johnston initially denied involvement then said members of a rival motorcycle gang had dumped his wife's badly-beaten body on the driveway. The detective told Johnston eyewitness accounts differed substantially from his story. Johnston called his wife a "whore" and indicated he had grown tired of her infidelities. He confessed that he argued with her, shot the house and television with a pistol, kicked in the windshield of the car that she tried to drive away, and when she tried to run, chased her and resumed hitting and kicking her. A neighbor and Johnston's stepson confirmed parts of the confession.
Last words and such: "I hope Nancy's mom forgives me. I hope everyone I've ever hurt forgives me. I'm ready to go to heaven. I hope you can forgive yourselves."
Moments before the first drug was administered, Johnston rolled his head back and forth and appeared to grimace. But he stopped moving once the drug appeared to take effect.
Factoids: Johnston was the...
37th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
981st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Missouri in 2005
65th murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
All but one of the others were carried out at the Potosi Correctional Center, where condemned men are confined among general inmate population.
The Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation held a vigil at the Boone County Courthouse and a prayer service at St. Thomas More Newman Center to protest the execution. At least seven vigils were held across Missouri, including one across the street from the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City, said Jeff Stack, Fellowship of Reconciliation coordinator. According to its Web site, the fellowship is “a pacifist group committed to active nonviolence as a means of personal, social, and political change.” Stack said he and other supporters came to let the public know that not all Missourians support the death penalty.
There are now 54 inmates awaiting execution on Missouri’s death row.
Missouri is one of 27 states that carry out executions by administering a series of three drugs intravenously in rapid succession. (All told, 37 states have the death penalty.) The procedure begins with a heavy sedative to render the condemned unconscious, followed by a drug to end breathing and another to stop the heart. The sedative, sodium pentothal, renders the condemned motionless within seconds. Death usually is pronounced within four minutes.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ROBERT ALAN SHIELDS JR.
August 23, 2005
...bacon....
Last Meal: For his final meal, Shields requested fajitas with flour tortillas, shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sour cream, pico de gallo, bacon, breakfast sausage, onion rings, French fries, barbecue sauce and picante sauce.
The skinny: Shields was put to death by lethal injection for the 1994 murder and robbery of his neighbor in a Houston suburb.
More skinny: Shields broke into the home of the victim and ransacked the house. When she returned home shortly, Shields repeatedly stabbed her and beat her with a hammer, then took the victim’s credit cards, checkbook and car keys, as well as the murder weapon and several other household items, and left in the victim’s car.
The victim body was found by her husband when he came home from work. Shields' parents lived next door. Hours later, Shields used one of the credit cards at a store to purchase clothing.
Shields, whose parents lived next door, was arrested three days later after police later spotting him driving the victim’s car.
Shields had cuts on his fingers and chin, and his underwear was heavily saturated with blood. Blood on the victim’s stolen checkbook were both consistent with Shields’ DNA. Shields’ fingerprints and shoeprints were found in the residence. Shields' mother testified at his trial that she and his father had changed the locks on their home at least twice to keep him from stealing from them.
Leading up to: In a letter posted on an anti-death penalty Web site, Shields described his prospects as "not looking good" and referred to his execution as a "state-sanctioned murder." Shields had previous arrests for burglary and auto theft, including an auto theft arrest in Florida where he and some friends were accused of driving a stolen car and shoplifting from there to Texas.
September’s issue of the monthly magazine Christian Network Journal features the only interview to which Shields would consent before his death. The magazine’s editor said Shields said he did not kill Stiner, although he admitted to being in the house when she died. The story also reportedly contains an account of Shields’ Christian conversion.
Last words and such: When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Shields responded twice, saying, "No." His parents and his victim's parents were among those who watched the execution.
Shields' father, Robert Shields Sr., pointed toward prison officials and said, "Murder," following his son's final breath. "Murdered by the state." he said shortly before he son was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.
Factoids: Shields was the...
36th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
980th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
12th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
348th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
KENNETH TURRENTINE
August 11. 2005
...declared that he had shot his "ol lady"...
Last Meal: 10 slices of cheesecake, 10 pieces of fried chicken and fried catfish.
The skinny: Turrentine was put to death for killing his ex-girlfriend in a jealous rage that prosecutors said claimed three other lives, including the women's children.
More skinny: Turrentine was having problems with his live-in girlfriend and moved out of the house. He later suspected she was having affairs with other men and came to believe that his sister knew about the affairs and that the two women were cheating him out of money in order to support their drug habits. Turrentine got a .22 caliber handgun from his ex-wife and confronted his sister about the supposed affairs. The sister apparently laughed in Turrentine's face and Turrentine shot her in the head. Turrentine then drove to the girlfriend's house, and during an argument he shot her and her two children in the head. After this carnage, Turrentine talked to a 911 operator and declared that he had shot his "ol lady," his kids, and his sister. He waited for police to arrive and again admitted to the shootings.
Turrentine originally was convicted and sentenced to death as well for the killings of the 13-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter. But a federal appeals court last year threw out the convictions in the case because of a judge's error during the trial.
Leading up to: A week ago, Turrentine told the Pardon and Parole Board about the alcohol and the antidepressants he'd taken at the time. But in the end, he couldn't answer the board members' questions about motive. "I've been struggling with that for years," he said, just before the board declined to spare him.
Last words and such: Before being given a lethal injection, Turrentine, 52, proclaimed his innocence, despite an earlier confession. "I've always maintained I've been innocent of crimes charged. This is a violation of my 14th Amendment rights. It's not over. With that being said, Mom, Dad, I love you all. Be strong. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensures due process of the law and equal treatment of all citizens and was adopted to protect former slaves after the Civil War.
When it was over, his mother cried, "Let me get out of here," but paused just before she left the death chamber. She placed her hand on the window that separated her from the room where her son's body lay and tearfully patted it.
Factoids: Turrentine was the....
35th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
979th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2005
79th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
GARY LYNN STERLING
August 10, 2005
Last Meal: Sterling requested a chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, French fries, pecan pie, sweet tea and a vanilla milkshake.
The skinny: Sterling, former farm worker from Central Texas was executed for using a car bumper jack to fatally beat and rob a man during a violent spree 17 years ago that also left three other people dead.
More skinny: Sterling, 38, was condemned for the beating death of a 72 year old man, killed in 1988 at his home. Prosecutors also had evidence tying him to the slaying of a 52 year old woman, a friend of the victim's whose purse and glasses were found at Sterling's home, although he was not tried for the woman's death.
Sterling led police to their bodies after he was arrested for the slayings of two seventy year old brothers. He pleaded guilty to their slayings and received two life prison terms. Authorities said Sterling knew the four victims, who all were fatally beaten.
Evidence showed Sterling, who was 20 at the time, took a car, a TV, shotgun and a lantern. Police said he sold the car for cash he needed to buy crack cocaine. "He was looking for enough to just buy some rocks," Hill County Sheriff Brent Button said.
In the big house: While in jail in Hillsboro, Sterling gained notoriety for trashing his cell, tearing up steel jail fixtures officials had been told were indestructible. Sterling also was remembered for a physical training regimen where he would do push-ups for hours.
Last words and such: "I wish I could do something to replace your father, your loved one," Gary Sterling said as two daughters and three sons of his victim stood a few feet away watching through a window. "But I can't. I know this was a heinous crime. I just wish I could get him back. I would like the chaplain to say a prayer, not only for me but for the victim's family. For them being misled, I am sorry. That is all I have to say. I'll put in a good word for everybody."
Factoids: Sterling was the....
34th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
978th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
11th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
347th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
GEORGE SIBLEY
August 4, 2005
...together again...
Last Meal: Sibley declined the traditional last meal and had not eaten since Tuesday.
The skinny: Sibley, 62, an anti-government extremist was executed for capital murder in the 1993 shooting death of an Opelika police officer.
Sibley's common-law wife, Lynda Lyon Block, 54, was executed in 2002 for her role in the death.
More skinny: The police officer was gunned down by both in a Wal-Mart parking lot when he approached their car after a passer-by said a child in the car had asked for help. Block's 9-year-old son was in the vehicle as she and Sibley emptied their guns into the officer and his patrol car. The pair claimed they shot the officer in self-defense after he touched his holster.
Legal machinations: Sibley and Block refused for years to file appeals. Before Block was put to death, she claimed through an attorney that Alabama never became a state again after the Civil War and she therefore did not recognize the state's court system. Both Block and Sibley had been active in fringe political groups and renounced their U.S. citizenship, claiming the courts were biased and without jurisdiction. They tried to cut their ties to the government by getting rid of their driver's license, car registrations and birth certificates.
In his petition Wednesday to the Supreme Court, Sibley wrote that his appeal had never been fully reviewed by the court in Washington, D.C., and it was "crucial in a case such as this." But state's attorneys filed a response brief saying Sibley was not entitled to a delay. "For no good reason, Sibley has waited until the eve of his execution to file this motion," the filing said.
Last words and such: Anti-government extremist George Sibley Jr. nodded to his relatives, stared at his victim's family and gave a final statement of defiance..."Everyone who is doing this to me is guilty of a murder. My sister and my niece, I want to express my love and gratitude ... and gratitude to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Sibley died at 6:26 p.m. The execution was carried out after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Sibley's request for a delay and Gov. Bob Riley turned down Sibley's request for a six-month postponement. "There is no new evidence that would justify such a delay," the governor said.
Sibley left all of his possessions to his sister and niece. The items left to his sister included a wedding ring, watch, pictures, a Book of Mormon, a Bible and $33.94.
Factoids: The officer's widow told reporters Wednesday she personally did not want the execution. Thursday, she said it was extremely difficult to watch but she felt justice was done.
Sibley was the...
33rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
977th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Alabama in 2005
33rd murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
july 2005
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DAVID AARON MARTINEZ
July 28, 2005
Last Meal: None
The skinny: Martinez, a former Austin drifter was executed for the rape-slaying of a Minnesota woman attacked on a jogging trail eight years ago.
More skinny: The victim, a student from Minnesota, visiting her sister in Austin. Her body was found beside a trail in a park near the home of her sister. She had been raped, strangled, and her throat had been cut. The victim told her sister the previous day that she intended to meet an individual named "Wolf" at the park. Martinez, whose nickname was Wolf, told friends that he intended to meet a girl at the park. He returned home after midnight, with a bicycle he did not own. A police search of his apartment produced the victim’s bicycle, her bicycle bag, and Martinez’s Swiss army knife. Blood on the knife matched her DNA. Hairs on her body were consistent with Martinez’s hair and Martinez’s DNA matched semen on the woman’s underwear.
A Travis County jury deliberated 15 minutes at his 1998 trial before convicting him of capital murder.
Martinez had no prior criminal convictions, but in April 1995, a few months prior to his 18th birthday, he was charged with carrying an explosive device. He was given deferred adjudication and placed on five years' probation. He was sent to boot camp after violating the terms of his probation.
Last words and such: "Only the sky and green grass goes on forever, and today is a good day to die."
Factoids: Martinez was the...
32nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
976th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
10th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
346th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
INDIANA LAST MEAL
KEVIN CONNER
July 27, 2005
...In an obscentity-laced final statement...
Last Meal: His final meal came from Dairy Queen: four chili dogs, onion rings, a banana split and an Oreo-cookie Blizzard ice-cream drink. Conner also smoked two cigars -- an exception to the prison's no-smoking policy granted to condemned inmates.
The skinny: Conner, who told the governor he wanted to die got his wish, as he was executed for killing three men back in 1988.
More skinny (hard to follow, pay attention!): Conner was drinking with friends Steve Wentland, Tony Moore, and Bruce Voge at Moore's home. Wentland left for a drive with Moore in the front seat and Conner in the back. Wentland and Moore argued and Moore struck Wentland with Conner's knife. Wentland fled from the car but was chased down and run over by Moore. Conner then stabbed him to death. They drove to the warehouse of Conner's employer, where Conner and Moore began arguing about the nights events. Cooner shot Moore to death with a shotgun. Conner then returned to Moore's home and shot Voge on the couch. Conner then fled to Texas.
Besides being convicted in the deaths of three men in Indianapolis, Conner also claimed to have killed a fellow Death Row inmate in 2002.
Police dubbed him "Iceman" for his cold demeanor. Conner liked the nickname and, according to trial testimony, asked friends to sell souvenir T-shirts depicting an ice block and a bloody knife. He wanted to use the proceeds to bribe the judge, officials said.
A ruuner: The day after a judge sentenced Conner to die, he jumped a wall and escaped from the Marion County Jail. He ran for about three minutes before being recaptured. In 1994, Conner and four others on Death Row used hacksaw blades, makeshift knives and a grappling hook in an attempt to escape from prison. Conner and three others made it to the base of the outside wall before being spotted and captured.
No legal machinations: Conner had wanted no protests, no efforts to save his life, and had told Gov. Mitch Daniels just that in a letter, writing that "killing a person is far more honest and humane than imposed repression under the guise of justice in the penal system."
Leading up to: Conner spent his final hours alone in his cell, making phone calls to friends and relatives. He also was allowed to smoke two cigars. He did not meet with a spiritual adviser. He also watched Showtime's "Dead Like Me," a dark comedy about a team of grim reapers.
Conner, an avid reader of philosophy and science fiction, donated most of his books to the prison library. He donated his television to Fredrick Michael Baer, sentenced to death last month.
Last words and such: In an obscentity-laced final statement related by a prison spokeswoman, Conner said, "Everybody has to die sometime, so ... let's get on with the killing."
Factoids: Conner was the...
31st murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
975th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Indiana in 2005
15th murderer executed in Indiana since 1976
Outside, a steady rain had limited protesters to a few moments of gathering outside their cars.
A dozen people, about half the number that typically shows up, gathered in the rain.
Lisa Williams passed out homemade brownies and chocolate cake.
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
MICHAEL PENNINGTON
July 19, 2005
...Pennington left the store empty-handed when the register failed to open...
Last Meal: For his final meal, he requested a small vegetarian pizza, a large garden salad with Italian dressing, a hot fudge sundae, a bag of Oreo cookies and a pint of milk.
The skinny: Pennington, 37, who changed his name to Sharieff Sallahdin while at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, was executed for killing a store clerk during a 1991 robbery. He blamed it on steroid use.
More skinny: The former weightlifter and body builder was convicted in 1993.
Pennington, who was stationed at nearby Fort Sill, shot the man once in the back with a sawed-off, 12-gauge shotgun. After killing him, Pennington fired several times into a cash register and throughout the store.
Despite the killing and using all his ammunition, Pennington left the store empty-handed when the register failed to open. Police tracked Pennington to his wife's house in Akron, Ohio, where he was arrested.
Legal Machinations: Pennington has argued in court that the murder was a psychotic consequence of his steroid use. He said in appeals of the death sentence that the anabolic steroids, taken to enhance his weightlifting and body building regimen, altered his normal behavior and transformed him from a disciplined soldier into a fleeing killer.
Last words and such: Shortly before 6 p.m., the 5-foot-7 man was strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber.
Pennington's only comment was, "No statement." He then mouthed the words "I love you," to two family members who witnessed his execution.
Factoids: The next execution in Oklahoma is scheduled for Aug. 11. Kenneth Eugene Turrentine, 52, is scheduled to die that day for a Tulsa County killing spree.
Pennington was the....
20th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
974th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2005
78th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
GEORGIA LAST MEAL
ROBERT DALE CONKLIN
July 12, 2005
...A book describing the dissection of a body was found on the bedroom floor...
Last Meal: Conklin requested a filet mignon wrapped with bacon; de-veined shrimp sautéed in garlic butter with lemon; baked potato with butter, sour cream, chives and real bacon bits; corn on the cob; asparagus with hollandaise sauce; French bread with butter; goat cheese; cantaloupe; apple pie; vanilla bean ice cream and iced tea. Prison officials said he ate the entire meal, cleaning two plates.
The skinny: Conklin was executed for stabbing his gay lover to death with a screwdriver and dismembering the remains.
More skinny: In March 1984, a maintenance man employed at Conklin’s apartment complex was collecting aluminum cans from the trash dumpster when he discovered dissected human body parts, knives, bloody bed clothes, screwdriver, rope, credit cards, a wallet and miscellaneous papers belonging to the victim, all encased in black plastic garbage bags. The body parts were identified as those of an attorney, who was acquainted with Conklin and had begun a physical relationship with him. When Conklin's apartment was searched, police found the bed clothing was missing and the mattress appeared to be blood-soaked. The jammed kitchen garbage disposal contained what appeared to be internal organs. The former McDonald's manager was arrested a few days later. When questioned, Conklin stated that he and the man were wrestling on the bed when he grabbed a screwdriver and stuck him, then pushed the screwdriver into his ear and wriggled the weapon around. Conklin admitted to dissecting the body and disposing of incriminating evidence in the dumpster. A book describing the dissection of a body was found on the bedroom floor. At the time of the murder, Conklin was on parole for Armed Robbery and Burglary.
Leading up to: In a hearing before the pardons board on Monday in Atlanta, defense lawyers argued that Conklin had acted in self-defense to prevent the man from raping him. "He is guilty of defending himself from rape and having the worst possible judgment after his attacker was dead," defense lawyer Don Samuel said in a clemency petition.
Defense lawyers also included in the petition documents that show Conklin led a productive life while in prison, attending church services and completing a bachelor of arts program offered by Western Illinois University. He even solicited pen pals on an Internet site sponsored by a group opposed to the death penalty.
Last words and such: Conklin had no final statement but did ask for a final prayer, after which he said "Amen." A friend of his, sat in the second row of witnesses. When Conklin was strapped to the gurney and before the chemicals were administered, he said "hello" and smiled at her. She waved back.
As the chemicals were administered he looked at her and said "Goodbye." His chest heaved and his head tilted backward, and the woman started crying uncontrollably and left the chamber.
Factoids: Conklin was the...
29th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
973rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Georgia in 2005
39th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976
Conklin was the 16th inmate put to death by lethal injection.
There are presently 110 men and one female on death row in Georgia.
A Model Letter from Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Please sign and print your name to the letter and include your return address, particularly if you live in Georgia -- this carries a special weight. And please send appeals so that they arrive before July 11 (when the Board convenes the clemency hearing) - fax is a good method.
**Please fax letters before Monday morning!**
MODEL LETTER
Please include your name and mailing address – especially if you live in Georgia (this will add weight to your letter).
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles
Floyd Veterans Memorial Building
Balcony Level, East Tower
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30334-4909
Via facsimile 404-651-5282
Dear Members of the Parole Board,
I am writing to you in regards to the upcoming execution of Robert Conklin. My sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of George Grant.
However, Conklin should not be executed because he did not receive effective assistance of counsel. His lawyer was not given enough time or resources to adequately prepare for trial. The 11th Circuit acknowledged that the trial court should have granted Conklin resources for expert testimony and a continuation in order to prepare for trial. Conklin's attorney had a mere 37 days to prepare for a highly complex case.
Conklin also suffers from mental illness and endured a violent childhood. The execution of a mentally ill person is a profound human rights violation made even more alarming when the defendant was not afforded appropriate representation at trial. Furthermore, there has been no hard evidence to repute Conklin's claims that he acted out of self defense.
Please do all that is with in your power to spare the life of Robert Conklin. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
june 2005
TEXAS LAST MEAL
ALEXANDER REY MARTINEZ
June 7, 2005
Last Meal: Martinez requested a cheeseburger, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes with gravy, bacon, orange juice, fried steak, a fried pork chop, onion rings, french fries, a quarter fried chicken and a bowl of shredded cheese.
The skinny: Martinez, 28, was executed for the robbery and fatal stabbing of a prostitute at a Houston house almost four years ago.
More skinny: Only out of prison for 3 weeks following his parole on a seven year attempted murder sentence, Martinez called the victim, a prostitute, and made arrangements for her to meet him at his house for $300. Upon arrival, the woman and Martinez argued about the amount and whether he was going to pay. When it became clear that Martinez either had no money or was not going to pay her, the angry woman started to leave, but Martinez stuck a knife against her neck and attempted to have sex with her. She struggled and Martinez slashed her throat, causing her death. He then took $150 from her. Two days later, her nude body was found stuffed inside two garbage bags in a Houston field. "I regret I made that call," Martinez said, insisting it was the first time he had sought the services of a prostitute. "I was sort of curious."
Two weeks later, Martinez slashed his stepmother's throat in an unprovoked attack, but she survived. Martinez was arrested later the same day and admitted both slashings. When police searched Martinez's bedroom the next day, they found blood on the bed frame, wall, floor, closet shelves and door. Some of the blood was from the dead prostitute.
Martinez later had the following tattooed on his arm: "RIP, August 12, 2001, $300, Helen Joyce Oliveros. In 2004, Martinez waived all further appeals.
Leading up to: Partly out of fear that he will kill again, partly out of dread of spending his life behind bars, Martinez said in a recent death row interview that he wants to die. "Maybe not now," he said, "maybe not in 10 years. But someday, maybe 20 years from now, somebody would set me off. I give my life freely."
To the consternation of his appeals attorney, Houston lawyer Pat McCann, the killer has insisted that all efforts to save his life be halted. "I think Alexander's life still has value," he said. "I wish he would change his mind."
Last words and such: In a statement while strapped to the death chamber gurney, he thanked his family and friends and expressed his love for them. "And thanks for the friends at the Polunsky Unit that helped me get through this that didn't agree with my decision and still gave me their friendship." In a handwritten statement he prepared about two hours before his death, Martinez acknowledged that "I have caused so much pain to so many people. I especially want to apologize to my victim's family for the life I took. I am only taking full responsibility for what I have done. I am truly sorry and, though some may not believe this, God only knows the truth and for that I know that's all that matters. I am ashamed for what I've done!"
His English-born wife by proxy and a sister-in-law were the only witnesses.
Factoids: Martinez was the...
28th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
972nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
9th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
345th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
Statistics show an increasing number of death row inmates in the United States are seeking to halt the automatic appeals that accompany their death sentences and often take years to complete. Of the nearly 1,000 people executed in the last three decades, one in eight asked for their appeals to be dropped, although last year the rate rose to one in six. Experts have cited increasing tough living conditions in prison where the death row inmates are kept in constant isolation as a possible reason for the increase in "volunteers" for the death chamber.
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
JERRY PAUL HENDERSON
June 2, 2005
...her attorney was drunk during parts of her trial....
Last Meal: Henderson jokingly said that, for his last meal, he'd like to go to Red Lobster. Instead, he ate regular prison fare of fish, coleslaw, baked beans and French fries.
The Skinny: Henderson, 58, was executed for the 1984 shooting death of a Talladega man whose wife paid $3,000 for the killing.
More skinny: On New Years Eve, Henderson and his wife threw a party. Excusing himself from his guests, Henderson said he was not feeling well and went to lie down in a back bedroom. He sneaked out of a bedroom window, went to the home of his wife's sister, lured her husband outside the house, and shot him dead with a shotgun. He returned to the party with a ready-made alibi. Three years later, his wife came forward and admitted to police that her sister had paid Henderson $3,000 to murder the man. Upon arrest, Henderson, a maintenance mechanic with a seventh-grade education, confessed to the murder-for-hire plot. Both Henderson and the sister-in-law were convicted and sentenced to death. The woman had her sentenced reduced to life imprisonment after it surfaced that her attorney was drunk during parts of her trial.
Leading up to: Henderson's 28-year-old son, Jason, visited. The last time they had seen each other, the son was 11.
As his execution date neared, Henderson did not fight his fate. He declined to seek clemency from Gov. Bob Riley. Death penalty opponents appealed to the governor but were told that the clemency request must come from the condemned.
Last words and such: "I just want to say that I am very sorry for the pain that I have caused. I pray the family of Jerry Haney can find it in their heart one day to forgive the pain I have caused them. I pray they find peace and love in the Lord Jesus Christ as I have, because that's the true peace. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that I'm fixing to see him face to face."
Factoids: Henderson was the
27th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
971st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Alabama in 2005
32nd murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
may 2005
INDIANA LAST MEAL
GREGORY SCOTT JOHNSON
May 25, 2005
...(he wanted Oreo pie, but they were out)...
Last Meal: Johnson ate his traditional last meal Monday with his attorneys. He had ribs, pulled pork, sauteed mushrooms, soda and chocolate cheesecake (he wanted Oreo pie, but they were out). For his attorneys, he ordered pizza.
The skinny: Johnson was executed for stomping an 82-year-old woman to death in 1985.
More skinny: A newspaper delivery boy noticed the home of the 82-year-old victim on fire and roused a neighbor to call police. He returned but could not enter the home due to the fire and smoke. Firemen were able to put out the fire in about a half hour. The 82-year-old was found 5 feet from the front door with broken bones on her nose and cheek and 20 fractured ribs. Her larnyx and spine were also fractured.
An autopsy revealed that she died as a result of these injuries and not fire or smoke inhalation. A dispatch was sent out that Johnson was a suspect in several fires in the area. Johnson was seen by officers watching the firemen fight the fire and was arrested for Public Intoxication. In custody, Johnson initially denied any involvement, but admitted setting 4 recent fires in the area.
During a later interrogation, Johnson was asked if by killing the woman he was trying to join his friend on death row. Johnson became emotional and gave a full confession.
The liver saga: Johnson drew national attention in recent weeks when he asked for at least a delay of his execution to determine whether he could donate a section of his liver to his 48-year-old sister, who suffers from nonalcoholic cirrhosis.
Gov. Daniels said he did not question Johnson’s sincerity. “If his proposal had turned out to create a clear, demonstrated medical advantage to his sister, I might well have considered a brief postponement to seek a way to fulfill the request,” Daniels said in his statement. “The advice of medical experts, including Debra Otis’ own specialist, was definitive that she should not pursue a procedure with Mr. Johnson as donor, but rather will be better served by accepting transplanted organs through the conventional process.”
In a one-page letter to Gov.Daniels on Tuesday, Drs. A. Joseph Tector and Dr. Hwan Y. Yoo, both of Clarian Health Partners in Indianapolis, stated that "quite apart from any legal, ethical or other questions, Gregory Scott Johnson is not a medically appropriate organ donor for his sister, Debra Otis."
In their letter, the physicians stated Johnson was an unsuitable donor due to his exposure to hepatitis B, his obesity and unspecified "hereditary factors."
The physicians also stated they did not want to jeopardize the Clarian Transplant Center's compliance with guidelines set by the United Network for Organ Sharing, which has "a clear position against allowing condemned prisoners to donate organs."
Transplant requests from death row prisoners in the United States have occurred before, though they are unusual, according to Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. In 1995, aDelaware case a condemned man donated a kidney to his mother, and returned to death row. In Alabama, a prisoner awaiting execution won permission for an organ donation, but he was not a correct match, Dieter said. In a Florida case, an inmate was denied a request to donate a kidney to his brother. The condemned man was later exonerated and released from jail, but his brother died waiting for a transplant, Dieter said.
The victim's relatives agreed that far too much attention had been given to Johnson. Her great-niece, Julie Woodard, wants Johnson to be known as the cold-blooded killer, not someone who tried to donate his liver to his sister. "I want him to be remembered as a man who viciously beat a sweet woman to death -- not the man who tried to save his sister, but the man who killed (an 82-year-old woman)" Woodard said.
Last words and such: "Everyone has been professional." After the execution, a handwritten statement from Johnson was distributed. In it, he expressed hope that his sister would survive even without his liver. "There are those who claim that Debi will have a new liver three weeks after being placed on the list. I'll be watching from above and expect her to be recuperating at that time." He was critical of the Indiana Parole Board for refusing to believe he sincerely wanted to help his sister, that he could have changed in 20 years. The board, he wrote, violated the Indiana Constitution, which states the penal code is "founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice." He then thanked others for their prayers. "I'll see you on the other side."
Factoids: Johnson was the...
26th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
970th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Indiana in 2005
14th murderer executed in Indiana since 1976
About 20 protesters had gathered outside the prison several hours before the execution for a candlelight vigil. "Deep inside, there are spiritual values in all people," Marti Pizzini, Michigan City, said at the vigil. "We are on the side of right, and we will prevail."
Unlike at some past executions, there were no pro-death penalty demonstrators at the prison.
Johnson is the third inmate in Indiana executed this year, the most in one year in the state since 1949.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
RICHARD CARTWRIGHT
May 19, 2005
...Maybe I should of moved to Canada instead of Texas ! HA HA!...
Last Meal: Cartwright request fried chicken, a cheeseburger, onion rings, french fries, bacon, sausage, cheesecake and cinnamon rolls.
The skinny: Cartwright, a Chicago man, was executed for murdering a man after inviting him to share a beer in a city park.
More skinny: Richard Cartwright, Dennis Hagood and Kelly Overstreet hatched a plan to rob a gay man by posing as male prostitutes. They thought such a victim would be an easy target because he would be less apt to report the robbery to police. They met the 37-year-old victim after he pulled up in a small black sports car. The trio invited him to go drinking with them at a remote gulfside park. When they reached the secluded area, Cartwright pulled out a gun and said, “This is a robbery. Put your hands on the cement [wall].” At the same time, Overstreet held a knife to the man’s neck. Their plan turned deadly when the victim refused to give up and tried to flee. One of the men tried to stab him but could not kill him. Cartwright then shot him in the back with a .38 caliber pistol.
The man's body washed up on the beach in Corpus Christi the following day. The robbery netted the three accomplices between $60 and $200 - money they all use to buy drugs.
While awaiting trial Cartwright wrote letters from jail to his partners urging them to all agree on a single story. The letters were intercepted by authorities and used to help convict him.
Hagood was convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Overstreet was convicted and sentenced to 50 years imprisonment. Both testified against Cartwright.
The net: Richard Cartwright took his case to the Internet, claiming police charged the wrong man with murder. Private investigator Tina Church, who has taken up Cartwright's case said, "Kelly Overstreet is the person who slit this young man's throat, and he places the gun in Rich Cartwright's hands. Rich has never...Rich has always maintained his innocence."
At Cartwright's trial, the medical examiner testified that the knife wounds were not fatal, and that the gunshot wound was the cause of death.
On death row, Cartwright declined to be interview by reporters, preferring instead to write letters to anti-death-penalty organizations, who posted his letters on their web sites. "I did not commit the crime for which I was convicted and sentenced to death," he stated. His claim of innocence, however, revolved around his responsibility for the murder, not his involvement in it.
A another bad call: Cartwright was offered a plea deal of 40 years in prison, but he turned it down, saying at the time that he would rather die than spend his life in prison..
Last words and such: "I want to apologize to the victim's family for any pain and suffering I caused them." He then he urged his fellow death row inmates to "just keep your heads up and stay strong."
Factoids: Cartwright was the...
25th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
969th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
8th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
344th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
RICHARD CARTWRIGHT'S PEN PAL REQUEST:
I'm a 29 year old male who was born and spent 24 years in the beautiful city of Chicago. I came down to Texas at the age of 25 and was on Texas death row one year later. I am looking for an open minded person to correspond and hopefully build a meaningful friendship with.
Death row can be a very lonely and depressing place and reaching out to someone in the free world is one of very few ways to escape the mental and physical torment. When I was in the free world I made my living as an automobile technician. I had many hobbies such as building muscle cars, riding motorcycles, fishing, walking on the beach at night, listening to rock and roll, and playing hockey.
As a matter of fact in 1984 through 1988 the hockey team I played for out of Chicago (The Huskies) were invited to play in the friendship tournament in Kitchener Canada. I also played for a triple A hockey team in 1988 that made it to the Silver Stick tournament in Ottawa Canada !!
I don't recall the name of the river in Kitchener, but it was froze over and we all went skating down the river and the sides were covered with absolutely beautiful ice sculptures.
Maybe I should of moved to Canada instead of Texas ! HA HA!
Thank you for your time and concern.
Send letters to:
Rich Cartwright 999224
TEXAS LAST MEAL
BRYAN ERIC WOLFE
May 18, 2005
...the woman kept blackeyed peas in her purse for good luck...
Last Meal: Wolfe requested fried chicken legs, fried pork chops, barbecue ribs, french fries, peach cobbler and a banana.
The skinny: Wolfe, a twice-convicted robber from Louisiana was executed for the fatal stabbing of his children's 84-year-old babysitter during a robbery. The victim had been watching his two children while his wife worked.
More skinny: The body of the 84 year old woman was found on the floor of hereaumont home with 26 stab wounds to the head, trunk, and abdomen. Her coin purse, missing cash, was found on the floor near her body. Some blackeyed peas were scattered on the floor. Witnesses testified that the woman kept blackeyed peas in her purse for good luck. The residence showed no sign of forced entry. Wolfe, who lived in the same neighborhood as the victim, was seen within a few blocks of the crime scene shortly before and shortly after the murder. Blood collected from throughout the victim’s home was tested and confirmed through DNA testing as coming from Wolfe. Wolfe was previously convicted in Kansas in 1985 for robbery, and in Louisiana for robbery in 1990.
The alibi...church and beer...In a statement to police, Wolfe said that he had never met the victim and was at a church barbecue all afternoon on the day of the killing. He said that he cut his hand on a broken beer bottle.
Last words and such: In a final statement while strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, Wolfe thanked family and friends for their support during the years leading up to his execution. "I will be OK. I am at peace with all of this and I won't have to wake up in prison any more. I love you all. I totally surrender to the Lord. I am ready, Warden."
Factoids: Wolfe was the...
24th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
968th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
7th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
343rd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
Looking for Aussie pen-pals: My name is Bryan Eric Wolfe. I'm 35 years old, a native Black American, who is currently on death row in the State of Texas.
I'm looking for a pen-pal. I would like to write someone from Australia who's interested in writing to me. All I ask is this person be very understanding of my present position of Death Row.
I'm a very open-minded person who enjoys lots of hobbies such as reading, craft works, arts and drawing, playing basketball, etc. I've been on Death Row for 2 years now and hopefully I can learn many things about the country of Australia.
Bryan E Wolfe #999079
MISSOURI LAST MEAL
VERNON BROWN
May 17, 2005
...more than three hours strapped to a gurney...
Last Meal: Brown requested shrimp, french fries, salad and cake.
The skinny: Vernon Brown was executed for killing a 9-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, and was a suspect in a child killing in Indiana.
More skinny: Walking home from school, the nine-year-old girl passed the home of Vernon Brown, who enticed her into the house. Brown’s stepsons and a neighbor saw the girl enter the house. Brown’s claims that at this point he began suffering PCP-induced blackouts. Brown then locked the stepsons in their bedrooms, but they listened to her screams through the air vents as he took the victim to the basement and bound her feet and one hand with a coat hanger. Brown then strangled her to death with a rope.
The next day, the body was found in two trash bags near a dumpster in an alley behind Brown’s house. Upon arrest, Brown confessed to the murder and also admitted murdering a 19 year old a year earlier. At that time, Brown was living under an alias and working as a maintenance man in an apartment building when he strangled her in her basement apartment with an electrical cord and stabbed her in the chest and throat. Brown was also convicted of this murder and sentenced to death.
Brown had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 12 year old girl in the 1970's and spent four years in prison.
Leading up to...Brown watched a little television and took calls from his brother and a woman proporting to be his mother. However, a prison spokesmen said that Brown's mother is dead. Brown mood during the evening was described as "scared." Brown declined a sedative at 7 p.m. but agreed to sedation at about 1 a.m. Brown fell asleep for a "good amount of time" before the procedure was begun.
Waiting: After more than three hours strapped to a gurney waiting to hear the U.S. Supreme Court's final decision on his appeal, Brown looked to the left towards his spiritual advisor and one of his lawyers, then looked up at the ceiling of the death chamber. After the first drug was administered at 2:32 a.m., Brown moved his head slightly with his eyes closed, and pointed his chin up towards the ceiling blowing air out of his mouth, which then fell open. A doctor pronounced Brown dead at 2:35 a.m.
The issues in front of the court dealt with the constitutionality of Missouri's method of lethal injection and racial disparity in executions.
Last words and such: Brown issued his own statement. "You'll see me again. To all my friends, don't think of me as being gone, but there with you." He continued, "And to Jazz, who has my heart and love. Peace, love. Vernon Brown." A prison spokesmen said he was uncertain who Jazz was.
Factoids: Brown was the...
23rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
967th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Missouri in 2005
64th murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
CONNECTICUT LAST MEAL
MICHAEL BRUCE ROSS
May 13, 2005
... the first convict executed in New England in 45 years...
Last Meal: Ross lunched on a cheeseburger and hash browns, and at 3 p.m. For his late meal, Ross ate the regular prison meal of the day, which was turkey a la king with rice, mixed vegetables, white bread, fruit and a beverage.
The skinny: Michael Bruce Ross, an insurance agent and a serial killer who admitted killing eight women in the 1980s, was the first convict executed in New England in 45 years.
Ross was the first person executed in Connecticut since May 17, 1960, when Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky was electrocuted for a spree of slayings.
More skinny: Mr. Ross, 45, grew up on an egg farm in eastern Connecticut.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1983, Ross accosted a nineteen year old woman on the grounds of a State Hospital. He forcefully pulled her into a wooded area and ordered her to remove her clothing. He then sexually assaulted her and, after ordering her to turn over on her stomach, strangled her. Before leaving, he covered her body with leaves.
On June 13, 1984, Ross accosted a seventeen year old as she was walking along Route 12. After a short conversation, he pulled her over a stone wall, forcing her to go with him into a wooded area that led to an open field. There he sexually assaulted her, forced her to turn over on her stomach, and then strangled her.
On Easter Sunday, 1984, Ross picked up two fourteen year old hitchhikers on Route. Once the girls had entered his car, he drove them over their protests past their intended destination. When one girl tried to force the defendant to stop the car by threatening him with a knife, he disarmed her and continued into Rhode Island. At Beach Pond, he parked his car and bound both girls hand and foot. He then untied one's feet and forced her to walk a short distance from his car, where he assaulted her sexually, turned her over on her stomach and strangled her. Returning to the car, the defendant killed the second. without sexually assaulting her. He then placed the bodies of both girls in his car and drove back to Preston, Connecticut, where he deposited their bodies in a culvert.
Ross, a Cornell University graduate who studied economics, confessed to the murder of all four women and four others during the same time period. At his trial, the defendant did not deny having committed the kidnappings, rapes, and murders, and asserted an insanity defense.
1987, Ross was convicted for the murders of four of the eight women he confessed to killing. It took the jury 86 minutes of deliberations to convict him and only four hours to decide on his punishment.
Many legal machinations: Although Ross said he was personally opposed to the death penalty, he wanted his execution to serve as closure for his victims' families and last year he waived all remaining appeals.
That did not stop another round of competency hearings, appeals and last-minute legal machinations by lawyers seeking to halt the execution. Attorney Diane Polan represented Ross' sister, Donna Dunham, in efforts to intervene on behalf of her brother. Another suit, filed on behalf of state inmates, claims that Mr. Ross's execution would "cause suicide contagion among suicidal and suicide-prone prisoners." (we could only hope) if Ross was allowed to willingly go to his death.
Leading up to: Visits consumed most of Ross' last day. He awoke about 5:45 a.m. and had a breakfast of oatmeal and grapefruit. Ross watched television and read newspapers until 8:10 a.m., when he was moved to the execution holding cell.
Where formerly Ross could hold hands with visitors, now he could not. Only priests were allowed physical contact, necessary so they could give him the Holy Eucharist, which Ross received at 9 a.m. later he received last rites.
Butler said he and Ross joked Thursday morning about the "Hannibal Lecter death cell," a reference to the cannibal psychiatrist in the thriller movie "Silence of the Lambs."
Because of his status as a volunteer, Mr. Ross held the right to change his mind up until the moment of the lethal injection and to say he wanted to appeal. "All he has to do is say so and the machinery of death will stop," Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said..
Among his possessions was a Bible, a book of Bible verses and some candy.
Money quote: "We wish to have him destroyed. Mr. Ross is a diseased animal that society is well justified to flush down its sewer system." -Lan Manh Tu, brother of Ross' first victim. her body was found in 1981 in a gorge at Cornell University.
Last words and such: Ross made no statement before his death.
Factoids: Ross was the....
22nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
966th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Connecticut in 2005
1st murderer executed in Connecticut since 1976
The ranks of death penalty opponents had swelled to nearly 300 as they marched through the chilled air to the driveway of the prison where Ross was executed. Candlelight highlighted expressions that ranged from tearful to stoic as they learned of Ross' death by word of mouth rippling through the crowd. Jacob Grossouw, 16 of Enfield, said he was shocked. "I don't know how to feel. I can't believe they just killed a man," he said.
By 6:30 p.m., a group of teenage girls came to the site to make their own signs and show their support for the death penalty. "I was chanting this all day in school," said Kaylah Winter, 16 of Somers, who was a holding a sign that said, "Turn Ross into Moss."
High above them Trooper One, the Connecticut State Police helicopter hovered. It was prepared to chase any aircraft that approached within 1,000 feet of the prison.
Mr. Ross pushed Connecticut toward its 74th execution since it adopted capital punishment in 1893.
Over two decades in prison, Ross sought to parlay his criminal notoriety into celebrity status. He wrote articles for psychiatric journals and granted dozens of interviews. He distributed a newsletter from prison that detailed his incarceration and his views about the death penalty.
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
GEORGE MILLER, JR.
May 12, 2005
Last Meal: Miller requested sliced beef brisket, pork spareribs and a Coke.
The skinny: Miller was executed for beating and stabbing an Oklahoma City motel clerk and pouring acid down his throat.
More skinny: The twenty-five year old victim worked as the night auditor for the Central Plaza Hotel located in Oklahoma City. He registered a hotel guest at approximately 3:15 a.m. Shortly thereafter he was attacked by an assailant who stabbed him repeatedly, beat him with hedge shears and a paint can, and poured muriatic acid on him and down his throat. He was discovered two and a half hours later, still moaning, by a motel housekeeper.
His responses to police were mostly unintelligible, but did understand him say his attacker was a black man who wore gray pants. He died later that day at the hospital from blunt force trauma to his head.
All of the evidence against George Miller was circumstantial but substantial. Miller's sandals could have left the bloody footprints found at the scene, but could not be exclusively identified. A microscopic drop of blood found on Miller's sandal was consistent with the man's blood, but also could not be exclusively identified. Miller told police he was home with his wife at the time of the murder. The Millers were divorced by the time of trial, and she testified he was not home; he had taken her car keys from the place where she hid them under the mattress and left. The evening before the murder, Miller was broke and tried unsuccessfully to borrow money from several different friends including one who lived at the Central Plaza Hotel. The morning after the murder, Miller gave his wife one hundred and twenty dollars. When questioned by police about this, he claimed he had cashed a paycheck. When they reminded him he was not working at the time, Miller denied he gave his wife the money. One hundred twenty-two dollars was missing from the motel cash drawer. Miller had worked as a maintenance man at the Central Plaza Hotel for two weeks about a month before the murder. The vicitm knew Miller, but knew him under an alias, Jay Elkins. Photographs of the crime scene revealed what appears to be finger-writing in the blood on the floor and wall which could be the word, "Jay."
Last words and such: Strapped to a gurney inside the death chamber, Miller nodded to his mother and other family members who witnessed the execution. "I love you," were his final words.
Factoids: Miller was the...
21st murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
965th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2005
77th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
EARL J. RICHMOND JR.
May 6, 2005
...He even served as a pallbearer at the funerals....
Last Meal: Richmond declined a last meal. At 5 p.m. Thursday, nine hours before the execution, Richmond was scheduled to get the traditional final meal, a dinner of whatever he requested, within reason. Richmond decided not to take this last privilege. "My victims got no last meal," he said in his testimony to the other inmates
The skinny: Richmond, a former Army drill sergeant, was executed for killing and raping a woman and then strangling her two children to death with electrical cords.
More skinny: The bodies of a 27-year-old woman and her two children, aged 8 and 7, were found in their home at the Sunshine Mobile Home Park. She had been beaten and strangled. Her son had been stabbed 40 times with a pair of scissors and had an electrical cord wrapped around his neck five times. Her daughter was strangled with the cord from a curling iron.
Richmond, was a family friend and had dated one the victim's sisters. He even served as a pallbearer at the funerals.
DNA evidence later confirmed that the semen found inside of the woman’s body belonged to Richmond. Richmond initially denied any involvement in the murders, but confessed upon being informed of the DNA evidence.
Richmond was separately convicted in New Jersey and sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder seven months before the the three North Carolina murders. The woman, a payroll clerk at Fort Dix, N.J., had been beaten with a hammer, stabbed, hog-tied and strangled. Richmond did not become a suspect in thatdeath until after he was arrested in the N.C. murder.
The legal machinations...Richmond's appeals lawyers argued that his trial attorneys failed to present expert evidence that he couldn't form intent to kill his victims because he had consumed 20 beers, a fifth of liquor and smoked crack cocaine on the night of the slayings.
Last words and such: Richmond flashed a quick smile at his lawyers. He winked at his two sisters, who gazed at him through thick glass, and told them he loved them. "At this time, I'd like to extend my deepest apologies to all the victims' families and their loved ones. I'd like to say that I'm not a man that shies away from his responsibilities. I'd like to say that I hope that now, through my death, that y'all can move forward with your lives. Thank you and God bless you."
Factoids: Richmond was the....
20th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
964th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in North Carolina in 2005
36th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
LONNIE PURSLEY
May 3, 2005
...he was on parole for a third time...
Last Meal: Pursley requested a cheeseburger, four fried pork chops, french fries, two dinner rolls, a piece of cheesecake and iced tea with sugar,
The skinny: Pursley was executed for the robbery and fatal beating of an East Texas man while he was on parole for a third time.
More skinny: On Good Friday, Pursley and his family were visiting relatives. After getting into an argument with his wife, Pursley left the house on foot. The victim stopped and offered Pursley a ride. After spending some time at the victm's in his home, Pursley had the man drive out into the woods where Pursley savagely beat him to death, took his rings and left the body. Pursley was later seen by several witnesses driving the bloodstained car. Pursley used the rings to buy drugs and admitted to several people that he had beaten a person to death. DNA evidence and witnesses linked Pursley to the crime.
Pursley's repeated paroles, despite increasingly longer sentences, were attributed in part to bed shortages and court-imposed population limits at Texas prisons before a billion-dollar construction program eased the crowding problems.
Last words and such: "Yes. I would like to address the victim's family. I received your poem and I ma very grateful for your forgiveness. I still want to ask for it anyway. I have Jesus in my heart and I am sorry for any pain I caused you all. Thank you for your forgiveness. I am sorry. Ashlee, Pam -- I am going to miss you all. I love you all. Give everybody my love. Give everybody my love, O.K.? Mother, James, Justin, Corey, Brent, grand-babies and Daddy - I love you Pam. I love you Ashlee, Pammy and Irene. I will see you all on the other side. Couple friends on death row who have helped me; Shy town and Crazy Jay...I love you all and for all your support. Uncle Ray too. I am saved and I am going home, O.K.? You all stay strong. You all stay strong. That is all."
The victim's sister responded between sobs, "We forgive you."
Family and friends of Pursley could be heard sobbing and praying that God would "take his soul to a better place." Pursley's daughter, overcome with emotion, was escorted prematurely from the chamber.
Factoids: Pursley was the...
19th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
963rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
6th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
342nd murderer executed in Texas since 1976
PURSLEY'S PENPAL REQUEST :
Penpals : Hello! My name is Lonnie. I am currently on Texas' infamous Death Row. I was arrested on April 20, 1997 when I turned myself over to the authorities after finding that there was a warrant for arrest on the charge of Capital Murder. Family members are no longer supporting me, nor are they keeping in contact with me. I would like to find someone to correspond with. Please be patient with me, as I am not financially stable. There are things in here that are very much needed to get by, such as : hygiene items, writing supplies, and stamps. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. I was born in Houston, Texas on September 17, 1961. I was raised in a small East Texas town called Coldsprings. I'm 5'9" tall, 230 pounds, with blue eyes and dusty blone hair. My interet are rodeo - both watching and participating when I had the chance to, playing handball and lifting weights. I also like to do art work. RACE, SEX, AGE - none of these matter. I hope to hear from you soon. THANKS! I remain, Lonnie Wayne Pursley
april 2005
ALABAMA LAST MEAL
MARIO GIOVANNI CENTOBIE
April 28, 2005
...`I'm nice to them and I tell 'em what they want to hear.'"...
Last Meal: Centobie did not make a request for a last meal, but prison officials say he ate heartily: Chili and rice, okra and corn tomato soup, cornbread, gingerbread cake and fruit punch for lunch. Pizza, poor boy and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and three sodas from prison vending machines for a snack. Barbecue chicken, egg noodles with butter, turnip greens, candied sweet potatoes and a strawberry soda for dinner at 3 p.m.
The skinny: Centobie, a sensational escape artists, was executed for the 1998 murder of a police officer.
More skinny: Centobie was convicted of kidnapping his ex-wife and son and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Centobie escaped with fellow prisoner Jeremy Granberry while being transferred between jails. They overpowered their guards and stole their car. They fled into Alabama, where they were stopped by Tuscaloosa police officer Cecil Lancaster. Centobie shot and wounded Lancaster from the car's passenger seat. The next day, they were pulled over again on a traffic stop by the victim. After speaking with the cop, Centobie reached back into the car as if to retrieve his driver’s license. Instead, he pulled the deputy's stolen handgun and shot the victim three times - one bullet hit his bullet resistant vest, another entered his hip, and the last struck the back of his head.
Granberry was soon captured, but Centobie slipped away, only to be captured later, returning to the home of his ex-wife. While incarcerated awaiting trial, Centobie again escaped, this time with the help of a prison guard, Donna Hawkins, whom he had charmed. He was captured in Georgia two weeks later. Hawkins was sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence for permitting or facilitating his escape. Granberry pleaded guilty to the crimes against him and in July 2000 was sentenced to three life terms.
After his second capture, women sent cards, letters and pictures to him in jail. His lawyer once asked him how he charmed women. "He said, `I'm nice to them and I tell 'em what they want to hear.'"
Leading up to: Centobie spent his final day with his own family, meeting with his mother, two brothers and a sister, along with two members of Kairos, a prison ministry group. Centobie had a final meal of barbeque chicken, turnip greens, candied sweet potatoes, egg noodles with butter and cornbread. Centobie left his television and radio to other death row inmates. At 4:10 p.m. he was served communion by Rev. Raymond McDonough, a Catholic priest from Birmingham.
Centobie earlier rejected an unsolicited attempt to block his execution, saying in an affidavit he preferred death over a life in prison. Centobie said it was a ''luxury'' knowing when he would die because it gave him time to prepare.
Last words and such: Centobie repeatedly broke into a grin and sometimes nodded his head. He said nothing. He didn't acknowledge his mother or brother sitting in a witness room to his right, or the relatives and co-workers of the victim in a separate witness room straight ahead. Divorced for 10 years, Centobie wore his wedding ring.
Factoids: Centobie was the...
18th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
962nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Alabama in 2005
31st murderer executed in Alabama since 1976
A year before his turn to crime, Centobie won accolades in Mobile County from sheriff's officials as a diver for helping rescue victims of the Amtrak disaster on Bayou Canot in 1993 that killed 47 passengers and crew.
MISSOURI LAST MEAL
DONALD JONES
April 27, 2005
... the "monster" of crack cocaine....
Last Meal: Jones had a last meal of hamburger pizza, chicken strips, two orders of french fries, cole slaw, Pepsi and apple pie with ice cream.
The skinny: Jones was executed for killing his grandmother because she would not give him money to buy crack cocaine
His case was unusual because his family fought for years to keep him from being executed for killing one of their own.
More skinny: Jones went to the home of his grandmother around midnight to get some money to buy crack cocaine. She let him in and when Jones asked her for money, she refused and started lecturing Jones about his drinking and use of cocaine. Jones went downstairs to the kitchen, picked up a butcher block that contained knives, hid it behind him and went upstairs. His grandmother started lecturing him again, and Jones hit her several times with the butcher block while she screamed. Jones apparently became afraid that the neighbors might hear her screaming, picked up a knife that had fallen out of the butcher block and stabbed her until she stopped screaming and fell back onto her bed. Jones took his grandmother’s car keys, money, and VCR, and he drove off in her car. Jones purchased some drugs, sold the VCR and rented out the car to get money to but drugs. The grandmother’s body was discovered two days later. Upon questioning, Jones admitted the murder, blaming the "monster" of crack cocaine.
A bad call: Jones declined a prosecutor's offer to waive seeking the death penalty in exchange for his pleading guilty to first-degree murder and agreeing to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Jones opted to take his chances with jurors, convinced the killing was a second-degree murder not punishable by execution but carrying the prospect that he one day would be free.
Money quote: Jones’ family had hoped Blunt would commute the prisoner’s sentence to a life term without parole, arguing that Knuckles would not seek vengeance against her grandson. “We don’t have the death penalty so that families can feel a sense of vengeance,” Blunt said. “We have the death penalty because we believe as a society, we believe as a state and we believe as a people that some crimes are so horrific that the only appropriate punishment is the death penalty.”
Leading up to: Hours before his execution, Jones declined a sedative routinely offered to condemned inmates in their final hours but rarely refused.
Last words and such: Jones' final statement, written in his own hand: "Praise God! Every day is a day to give the Lord thanks for all He's done! To my Beautiful Family, Friends, and all those whose been in prayer, in thought and support, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To my Family, you will never truely know how your love, prayers, and forgiveness has sustained me all these years, to all my friends and supporters, especially my Beautiful Angels at St. Louis University, your courage and conviction is inspiring, keep the sturggle alive. To my mother who truly has been hurt the most, your love and strength I carry with me always. Take care of my son. I"m finally free and I'm going home to grandmother now. I love you all and God Bless. Donnie."
Factoids: Jones was the...
17th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
961st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Missouri in 2005
63rd murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
On a grass field outside the prison, many in a crowd of 120 protesters held votive candles and prayed. College students huddled and hugged. A few wept.
Many of the relatively large crowd of protesters were students from St. Louis University who were inspired by Jones' case to organize a group against executions. A few visited him during his final days. "We loved him. He was so sweet and gentle," said Anna Calhoun, a sophomore who saw him Monday. The murder "was a horrific mistake that he admitted to. This just caused more suffering for his family. There was no need for it."
Jones was the first to be executed in the new death chamber of the Eastern Diagnostic Reception and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, which has replaced the old chamber at the Potosi Correctional Center, 15 miles away.
INDIANA EXECUTION
BILL J. BENEFIEL
April 21, 2005
...this is a bad one...
Last Meal: Benefiel requested one large pizza with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, black olives and tomatoes; One 12-inch Italian beef sandwich with cheese; Four pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream: Butter Pecan, Cherry Garcia, New York Super Fudge Chunk and Oatmeal Cookie Chunk; One Dutch apple pie; Six cans of RC cola; Six cans of Pepsi cola.
The skinny: Benefiel was executed for killing a teenage girl by forcing instant glue up her nose and taping her mouth shut after 12 days of rape and torture.
More skinny: Note: We have omitted many of the heinious details of this crime. A site called prodeathpenalty.com has a more complete picture. It is just too much for us. A 17-year old woman was kidnapped on the way to a store two blocks from her home by Benefiel, who was armed with a gun and wearing a mask. She was tied-up and gagged, driven to Benefiel’s home and taken inside.
During 4 months of captivity inside Benefiel’s home, she was raped and sodomized over 60 times at gunpoint. Most of this time she was chained and handcuffed to a bed. He glued her eyelids shut, put tape over her eyes, and toilet paper in her mouth. She was cut with a knife and beaten.
After 3˝ months, she saw a second girl in the home. The second girl was naked and handcuffed on the bed, with tape over her eyes and mouth. Later she saw Benefiel beat the second girl and put superglue in her nose, then pinch it together. Benefiel left the home for 2 hours and upon his return, confessed that he had killed and buried the second girl. When police knocked on the door, Benefiel stuffed the girl into a ceiling crawl space. The police entered with a search warrant and rescued her. The body of the victim was found soon after in a wooded area.
He was sentenced to death in 1988 after a jury found him guilty of murder, rape, criminal confinement and deviant conduct. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and his lawyers in the ensuing years said he suffered from mental illness but the courts ordered the execution to proceed.
Last words and such: When asked for a final statement, Benefiel said, "No, let's get this over with. Let's do it."
Other than select members of the three teams conducting the execution, only one person witnessed the execution. Benefiel had the final say in who will be allowed to witness his lethal injection.
"We're the only state in the U.S. that does it that way," said aspokesman for the prison, said Tuesday. Other states make other provisions, he said, but in Indiana, the convict makes the choice.
Benefiel agreed to not having an autopsy done and will be cremated.
Prison officials conduct autopsies on executed prisoners so claims cannot be made that the prisoner was abused or died of something other than chemical injection.
Factoids: Benefiel was the...
16th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
960th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Indiana in 2005
13th murderer executed in Indiana since 1976
The 87th Hoosier executed since 1897.
About 25 people gathered outside the prison Wednesday night to protest the execution. The demonstration started with a candlelight vigil with people speaking against the death penalty, then they marched carrying signs in front of the prison for about half an hour. "Our hope is to bring awareness to the atrocities of executions," said the Rev. Tom Mischler of St. Mary of the Lake in Gary. "In this case we want to bring attention to the fact that the person being executed has a mental illness." He said while Benefiel's actions are monstrous, the person who committed them wasn't.
Rick Richards brought his 7-year-old daughter to see the vigil. "She was just curious about what was going on," Richards said. "She's having a hard time grasping, 'Why are we doing this?"'
If the folks had any concern for the victim or what their feelings would be if their 7-year old daughter were put through a similair ordeal, it was not reported.
The victim's mother and her children waited inside the prison, they could hear the demonstrators' drum beats. Demonstrators beat the drums as a symbolic protest against executions as society's idea of justice. "I could never feel joy over somebody dying," she said, but added that the protesters should just stay away. "Until they've walked a mile in our shoes - lost a family member - they should just stay home," she said.
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DOUGLAS ROBERTS
April 20. 2005
..."I've been hanging around this popsicle stand way too long..."
Last Meal: Roberts requested three Southern fried chicken breasts, two bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, three enchiladas, ground beef, two grilled pork chops, six corn tortillas, four deviled eggs, 12 green olives with Italian ketchup, butter beans and cabbage seasoned with hambone, broccoli with cheese sauce, fried onion rings, french fries, tomato, lettuce, cheese, picante sauce, onions and jalapenos.
The skinny: Roberts, 42, was executed for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of a 40-year-old man.
More skinny: Roberts stole a car from a woman at knifepoint at a convenience store. Fearing that the car had been reported stolen, Roberts later drove into an apartment complex parking lot and abducted the victim in his own car at knifepoint. Roberts robbed the man of his cash and ordered him to drive him out of San Antonio. Roberts ordered him out of the car on a desolate road outside the city at knifepoint. The victim lunged and Roberts stated he repeatedly stabbed him, then ran over his body as he drove away in the car. Roberts drove to Austin, called 911 and told the dispatcher he kidnaped and killed the man. In a videotaped interview with police, Roberts gave a complete confession.
A Bowie knife was recovered from the front seat of the car. An autopsy determined that the man was stabbed five times. He also suffered blunt trauma to his brain.
Leading up to...In an interview from death row, Roberts said that he was high on cocaine when he killed. "I was stoned out of my mind," he said. Lost in an unfamiliar place, he saw the man and thought, "this guy is going to take me out of the city. So I kidnapped him and his vehicle. "I guess he decided at the last minute he didn't want to be stranded, or thought he could overpower me," Roberts said. Roberts said that he first tried cocaine at age 10.
He insisted he had no desire to die but saw his execution as a way to end the loneliness and isolation of death row, which he described as "23 hours a day in a cement box." "So if you've got to spend the rest of your life like this, and if you're like me and know the Lord, then today's a good day to go," he said.
Last words and such: Roberts was upbeat and animated in the seconds before the lethal drugs were administered. "I've been hanging around this popsicle stand way too long, I want to tell you all. When I die, bury me deep, lay two speakers at my feet, put some headphones on my head and rock 'n' roll me when I'm dead. I'll see you in heaven some day." Roberts was smiling and mouthing "I love you all" to friends watching through a window, then said "I've got to go" and took his final breath.
Factoids: Roberts was the...
15th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
959th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
5th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
341st murderer executed in Texas since 1976
Originally, there were two executions slated for today, but one won a stay.
The most known executions in Texas in one day took place on Feb. 8, 1924 when the state used its new electric chair to put five people to death.
Having two executions on the same day is just a coincidence because the dates are set by the judges who preside over the criminal cases of each inmate. The judges usually do not consult with each other and their only scheduling criteria is that no executions are performed around Christmas or Easter, officials said.
At least four more Texas inmates have execution dates for May.
SOUTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
RICHARD LONGWORTH
April 15, 2005
...the two viewed a movie for a short time....
Last Meal: A hamburger, french fries and chocolate milkshake.
The skinny: Longworth was executed for the shooting deaths of two movie theater employees 14 years ago.
More skinny: Longworth and his co-defendant David Rocheville decided to go to a movie theater where they used to work and rob it. After entering the theater, Longworth took his handgun from his shoulder holster and gave it to Rocheville, and the two viewed a movie for a short time. They dragged an usher outside where Longworth pinned the man against a bar and Rocheville shot him in the head. The pair convinced a theater manager to let them back inside. They ordered the man at gunpoint to empty the safe and forced him into a van. After driving away from the theater, Longworth stopped and ordered the victim to get out, walk five paces, get on his knees and face forward. Rocheville then shot him in the head. Upon arrest, Longworth gave a complete confession. Rocheville was executed in 1999.
Last words and such: In the statement read by attorney David Belser, Longworth said he didn't pull the trigger but apologized to the victims' families. Longworth said he would not ask the victim's families for forgiveness, because he knew it wouldn't be granted. "I am morally and legally responsible for what happened," Longworth said in the statement. "I hope they also know how deeply, truly sorry I am for what I have done. I hope my death brings them the peace they deserve."
Factoids: Longworth was the...
14th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
958th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in South Carolina in 2005
33rd murderer executed in South Carolina since 1976
About ten people protested outside the Broad River Correctional Facility carrying signs denouncing the death penalty. Margaret Abbott said she's been protesting executions at the facility for ten years, and that she is a friend of Longworth's mother. "Execution is not a solution," Abbott said before Longworth was put to death. "It doesn't solve anything. It doesn't heal anybody. You've got victims on both sides."
DME sidebar: Prior to execution we received this e-mail..
Hey. I work for the firm representing Longworth. I know what he's eating before the state murders him. Do you think this kind of site is amusing or funny or what? What's the deal? What would you eat with 24 hours left to live?
mark
DME answers:
a) If you knew what Longworth was eating, why didn't you share it? That kind of scoop could put us on the map. Is there some kind of lawyer/chef/killer confidentiality thing?
b) Dictionary.com defines murder as "the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. " Since Longworth's punishment was lawful (the opposite of unlawful) it would not be a murder. One would think someone who works in a law office could grasp that subtle difference. Perhaps a law office that could understand the difference could have saved him.
c) The site is not meant to be amusing or funny. It reports the last meals of convicted killers and the crimes they committed. Nothing more, nothing less (other than an occasional thong sale).
d) What would we eat in our last 24 hours? That easy, young Mark. It is right there on page one of the 2004 Death Row Dining Guide. Please note: the Pepperoni Rolls are from Morgantown, WEST Virgina not Virgina as stated.
Finally, good luck with your next case defending a double murderer who blows off the heads of two young men justing starting the prime of their lives. Oh yeah, what was the name of the movie that the boys were watching before they blew off the heads of two young men justing starting the prime of their lives. That would be a real scoop.
FLORIDA LAST MEAL
GLEN OCHA (RAVEN RAVEN)
April 5, 2005
...To avoid extravagance, the food to prepare the last meal must cost no more than $20 and must be purchased locally...
Last Meal: Ocha, who changed his name in prison to Raven Raven, received a final meal of a fried chicken breast, potato salad, kernel corn, two biscuits and a large glass of Pepsi.
The skinny: Ocha, an engraver who hanged a woman he met at a bar from his kitchen door after sex and drank beer while she died was executed Tuesday, three years after firing his attorneys and dropping the legal appeals to his death sentence.
Ocha had waived a jury trial and pleaded guilty to the Oct. 5, 1999 killing of a convenience store employee who had given Ocha a ride home from the Kissimmee bar where he engraved beer mugs. He was drunk and high on Ecstasy and they had sex. The victim told him she was going to tell her boyfriend and made disparaging remarks about his anatomy. He made her sit in a chair while he got rope from his garage and tried to strangle her. When his arms grew tired, Ocha hanged her from a door, drinking a beer and cleaning his kitchen as she died.
Legal machinations: Ocha's execution came hours after Gov. Jeb Bush said he thought about delaying it out of respect for Pope John Paul II's death, but decided against it because of sympathy for the victim's family. Bush is a Roman Catholic and the pope, who died Saturday, opposed capital punishment.
Last words and such: Ocha woke up Tuesday morning and told the guards outside his cell he was ready to die. Prison officials say Ocha was in a good mood leading up to Tuesday's execution. But, as the clock ticks that changed.
Ocha, 47, apologized to the victim and her family before an anonymous executioner injected a lethal cocktail of three chemicals to stop his heart and his breathing.
"This is the punishment that I deserve," Ocha said in his final statement from the death gurney. He also said, ``I would like to say I apologize to Carol Skjerva, the girl that I murdered, and her family and her friends.''
After the statement he closed his eyes, he breathed heavily for about a minute and then there was no further movement.
Factoids: Ocha was the13th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
957th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Floida in 2005
60th murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
Death Row inmates are served meals three times a day: at 5:00 am, from 10:30 am to 11:00 am and from 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Food is prepared by prison staff and transported in insulated carts to the cells. Inmates are allowed plates and spoons to eat their meals. Prior to execution, an inmate may request a last meal. To avoid extravagance, the food to prepare the last meal must cost no more than $20 and must be purchased locally.
march 2005
MISSOURI LAST MEAL
STANLEY HALL
March 16, 2005
Last Meal: Hall's last meal consisted of a T-bone steak, shrimps, french fries, a milkshake and a salad with ranch dressing.
The skinny: Hall was executed for throwing a woman to her death off a Mississippi River bridge after stealing her car.
More skinny: Hall kidnapped the victim at gunpoint in a shopping mall parking lot as she arrived for work. Hall and an accomplice went to the mall to steal a car to use in a planned revenge attack on a rival.
The woman had been wounded and was struggling when Hall lifted her over the railing of the McKinley Bridge and dropped her into the river's freezing waters. Her body was recovered downstream seven months later.
At the time, Hall was on parole for wounding a 4-year-old girl while he was chasing and shooting at a man in St. Louis in 1987.
The accomplice was never charged.
Legal Machinations: The courts rejected Hall's final appeals that he was ineligible for the death penalty because he was mentally retarded based on 30-year-old intelligence test scores. More recent tests showed he scored above the threshold. Hall's attorney, Nelson Mitten, sought to halt the execution based on testing he recently discovered showing that Hall's IQ at age 7 as measured at 57. An average IQ is 100. Subsequent IQ scores for Hall were generally in the 70-75 range.
The U.S. Supreme Court banned executions of the mentally retarded in 2002, and Missouri issued a similar ban a year earlier. But there is no ban against executing the borderline mentally retarded.
Last Meals and such: Hall's final words were in the form of a written statement that read: "My statement to the Wood family is to let them know how truly and sincerely sorry I am for being involved with what I was and I'd like them to know that I'm sorry. Signed, sincerely sorry, Stanley Hall."
Eight of the woman's relatives, including her mother, 81, witnessed the execution.
Factoids: Hall was the...
12th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
956th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Missouri in 2005
62nd murderer executed in Missouri since 1976
Hall was the first person put to death in Missouri since October 2003.
Missouri executed a modern-era record nine in 1999 and six in 2002.
Death penalty opponents demonstrated at several locations. A Catholic priest from St. Louis, the Rev. Carl Kabat, 71, of the Oblate order, was arrested when he attempted to enter the prison in protest.
OKLAHOMA LAST MEAL
JIMMIE RAY SLAUGHTER
March 15, 2005
...five days from her first birthday...
Last Meal: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits with honey butter, an apple pie, one pint of cherry ice cream and a large cherry limeade.
The skinny: Slaughter was executed for the July 2, 1991, murders of his girlfriend and their 11-month-old daughter whom he killed in a fit of anger when the victim filed a paternity suit against him.
More skinny: The infant was five days from her first birthday when she was shot twice in the head by a small caliber gun. The mother was stabbed in the chest, shot two times and her body was mutilated. One of the marks carved into her abdomen had the appearance of the letter R.
Slaughter set up an elaborate plan to get rid of the two. He had another woman he'd manipulated get him a pair of soiled men's underwear and hair clippings from an African American patient at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Slaughter had maintained he was in Kansas at the time of the murders, that he was shopping with his wife and daughters in Topeka. Slaughter's alibi didn't hold up, that store employees remembered Slaughter's wife and daughters on that day but not him.
Instead Slaughter drove Kansas, killed the victim's, then drove back to Kansas, leaving the hair and underwear at the scene.
Slaughter maintained his innocence of the murders to the bitter end.
Legal Machinations: Slaughter tried to get his conviction overturned by submitting to a "brain fingerprinting" test by Seattle-based neuroscientist Larry Farwell. In the procedure, which the Harvard-educated Farwell says is accurate but has yet to gain much legal acceptance, the suspect is fitted with a headband-like sensor device, then shown photographs and other evidence from the crime scene. Seeing something familiar is said to trigger brain waves of recognition, which the sensor detects and flashes on a computer screen. Farwell told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in February that test results indicated Slaughter had not committed the crime, but the board members refused to grant him clemency.
Last words and such: "I've been accused of murder and it's not true. It was a lie from the beginning. God knows it's true, my children who were with me know it's true and you people will know it's true someday. May God have mercy on your souls."
No noise: In the minutes leading up to the execution, death row inmates typically bang on their cell doors, whistle and whoop as a kind of "last sendoff" for an inmate they like. Sometimes the banging and whistling is so loud it can be heard in the death chamber's witness room. Other times it's more muted, but can still be heard in the law library of H Unit, the portion of the prison that houses death row. At times the banging, whistling and whooping begins a half hour before the scheduled execution time and continues until long after the inmate is pronounced dead. But there was none of that Tuesday. Just silence.
Factoids: Slaughter was the...
11th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
955th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2005
76th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976
Slaughter was the 160th person executed by the State of Oklahoma since 1915.
NORTH CAROLINA LAST MEAL
WILLIAM POWELL
March 11, 2005
...He then began to count down from 99...
Last Meal: At 5:30 p.m. Thursday night Powell had his last meal: A medium, thin-crust pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and Canadian bacon from Domino's, and a hamburger with mustard, chili and onions from Wendy's and a 20-ounce Pepsi.
The skinny: William Dillard "Bugsy" Powell, 58, was executed for the Halloween 1991 slaying of a convenience store clerk.
More skinny: The victim tried to stop an unarmed Powell from robbing the store. She was hit over the head with what is thought to have been a tire iron, which was kept in the store but never recovered afterward. Powell's motive for the robbery was to get money to buy cocaine.
A customer discovered Mrs. Gladden’s body lying in a pool of her own blood.
Before the slaying, Powell had been honorably discharged from the Army and served as a volunteer with the rescue squad of the Shelby Fire Department, his lawyers say. He was an excellent caregiver to his autistic son and even helped the PTA at his son's school, they say. However, his lawyers say, Powell's life took a downward turn as he succumbed to drug and alcohol abuse. On the night of the killing, Powell was high on cocaine and Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, they say.
Would it be more severe in the other nine states? Powell was executed despite arguments from death penalty opponents that his crime would receive a less severe punishment in 40 other states. Ken Rose, director of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, which was assisting Powell's attorneys, said Powell does not deserve to be executed because he did not premeditate his killing and the only legally aggravating factor is attempted robbery. Forty other states would not allow an execution in such a case, Rose argued.
Last words and such: He declined to make a final statement and in the minutes before the lethal drugs were injected, Powell told his sister that he loved her. Execution witnesses were separated from Powell by a thick glass window. He turned quickly toward the back of the room and spoke with his executioners as they began to administer the lethal injection. He then began to count down from 99. His lips stopped moving about the time he reached 95.
Factoids: Powell was the...
10th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
954th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in North Carolina in 2005
35th murderer executed in North Carolina since 1976
Death row in North Carolina is home to 178 men and four women. That includes four defendants who committed their crimes as 17-year-olds whose death sentences were thrown out last week by the U.S. Supreme Court.
No other executions are currently scheduled.
INDIANA LAST MEAL
DONALD RAY WALLACE, JR.
March 10, 2005
..."And I will sleep well tonight." ...
Last Meal: Wallace requested steak, baked potato, french fries, cheese sticks, a fried onion, and a piece of chocolate cake from a local Damon's Grill.
The skinny: A quarter-century after he murdered an Evansville family of four during a botched burglary attempt, Donald Ray Wallace Jr. was executed by lethal injection.
More skinny: As attested by the admission of Wallace to friends after the fact, after burglarizing a home, he "got greedy" and decided to break into the house next door. However, when he did so, he was surprised to find the family inside. All four were tied up and shot in the head. Wallace would say to friends later that he shot the dad because he was "giving him trouble"; he shot the mom because she was screaming and he "had to shut her up"; and he shot the children because he "could not let the children grow up with the trauma of not having parents."
Wallace then took guns, a CB, a scanner, and other property, all of which was later recovered from or traced to Wallace. Wallace was found incompetent and confined in a mental hospital for almost 2 years prior to trial. His IQ was measured at 130.
Leading up to: In the weeks before his execution Wallace admitted that he had "faked" mental illness, and that he had in fact committed the murders.
The day of: Wallace visited with two friends. After a shower, he was led to a room next to the execution chamber. Wallace declined the chance to meet with a spiritual adviser, saying he preferred to be alone. He ate his last meal.
Last words and such: Staring through the miniblinds and into the execution chamber, his witnesses heard a short, simple statement: "I hope everyone can find peace with this." He then signaled to his executioners, as required by an agreement to not autopsy his body.
Factoids: Wallace was the....
9th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
953rd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Indiana in 2005
12th murderer executed in Indiana since 1976
He is the 84th person executed by the state of Indiana since 1897.
Outside, about 15 death penalty opponents had gathered to protest. Marti Pizzini, 64, brought candles, leaflets, a few tables and some noisemakers. "I'm not very religious, but I believe you do not solve the problem of violence with more violence," said Pizzini, who said she has attended 10 execution protests.
The death penalty opponents braved a bitterly cold wind off Lake Michigan that kept many of them in their idling cars until the time for the execution drew near. Robert Dhoore, 64, South Bend, braved the elements long enough to carry two signs over to a small folding chair to claim his spot for a rally. A veteran protester at state executions, Dhoore came prepared. "I've got my two sets of pants, two sweatshirts. And I got a pail in the car just in case," he said. There are no public restrooms outside the prison.
It was not a sentiment shared by Mark Hamner, 37, an Indianapolis Police Department officer who drove to the prison with fellow officers Patrick Snyder, 30, and Chris Cooper, 34. They set up a camping stove on a card table and cooked hamburgers and beans for dinner. "We came up here to protest the protesters," Hamner said. "Most of the time, it's the protesters that get the press. We are here to show that the majority of this state does favor the death penalty."
At one point, three anti-execution protesters approached the officers and started a spirited but cordial debate. "How are we going to be more safe by killing this man?" asked Sean Napier, 40, a Michigan City hotel manager. "His next victim will be safe," offered Snyder. "Do you sleep well at night?" asked Pizzini, of the Duneland Coalition. "I sleep like a baby," Snyder replied. "And I will sleep well tonight."
TEXAS LAST MEAL
GEORGE ANDERSON HOPPER
March 8, 2005
...a bowl of thick white gravy...
Last Meal: Hopper requested six eggs over easy, ten biscuits, twelve pieces of bacon, a bowl of grits, a bowl of thick white gravy, strawberry perserves, fried chicken, french fries and chocolate meringue pie.
The skinny: Hopper, 49, a former auto insurance appraiser, was executed for killing a Dallas-area physician's wife. He collected $1,500 for the murder.
More skinny: Hopper was condemned for being the hit man in a complicated scheme initiated by a woman bitter because her soon-to-be ex-husband was dating the murder victim. She had been raped, choked with pantyhose, shot twice in the head, had tissue jammed down her throat and was tied naked to a four-poster bed. Her then 4-year-old son found her unconscious. She died two days later.
The case: It was years, however, before police could unravel the case, which became one of the most intricate and complex ever in Dallas County and took authorities to Canada, Mexico and Europe.
Hopper was one of about a half-dozen people convicted of charges related to the scheme. Hopper had posed as a flower delivery man to get into his victim's house.
Hopper had no previous prison record but had been arrested in 1976 in Houston for indecent exposure and in 1984 for theft related to a pickpocket incident at a Richardson shopping mall. When initially questioned by police about the Gailiunas slaying, he fled and eluded detectives for six months.
Last words and such: Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Hopper turned toward four members of his victim's family, including the son who discovered his mother's body, and said he was sorry. ``I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. The things I did changed so many lives. I can't take it back. It was an atrocity. I am sorry. I beg your forgiveness. I know I am not worthy of it,'' he said, his voice breaking with emotion. Then he turned his head toward a second window, where his parents were among those watching. He told them he loved them and thanked them ``for everything.'' Hopper said a brief prayer, which his mother repeated with him.
Factoids: Hopper was the...
8th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
952nd murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
4th murderer executed in Texas in 2005
340th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
OHIO LAST MEAL
WILLIAM HENRY SMITH
March 8, 2005
...sharing a cherry cake recipe...
Last Meal: Smith requested Doritos and Pepsi but did not eat them, he did eat a ham, turkey and bologna sandwich with tomato and onions as his last meal. He did not eat breakfast or shower before the morning execution.
The skinny: Smith was executed for stabbing and then raping the dying, bleeding woman he had met in a bar.
More skinny: Smith met the woman at the Race Inn in Cincinnati. After several hours of socializing and drinking, they went to the victim's residence with her, where they engaged in sexual intercourse after drinking and allegedly using cocaine that belonged to him. Smith eventually left the apartment, but returned when he discovered that some of his cocaine was missing. Upon returning, he confronted the victim, but she denied taking any of the cocaine.
He then proceeded to stab the victim approximately 10 times in the neck, right breast, and right chest. While the victim was laying on the bed bleeding to death, Smith proceeded to have intercourse with her again. He then stole 2 televisions and a stereo system belonging to the victim. Upon arrest, Smith initially denied any involvement in the offense, but later admitted to stabbing the victim in the neck and having sex with her after stabbing her 8 more times.
Legal machinations: The Ohio Parole Board unanimously upheld his sentence, but a federal district judge in Cincinnati had stayed his execution on grounds that the state did not thoroughly investigate his claim that his behavior was affected by brain damage. An appellate court overturned the stay earlier in the week, saying a scan failed to confirm such damage.
Last words and such: Smith listened to a tape of R&B artist Sade and read the Bible and The Ruins of Ambrai, a fantasy novel, in his last 24 hours.
Smith got about three hours' sleep Monday night.
He was upbeat before the execution, visiting family, chatting about Cincinnati sports with the execution team and sharing a cherry cake recipe with them.
In a final statement that lasted four minutes, Smith took responsibility for the crime and said he had given himself to the Lord. "I hope you have the capacity to forgive," he said, addressing the victim's grandson, who watched with his hands clutched in front of his face. "I cannot control anything from this day. Find the right way. Be a better person than I was," Smith said.
Factoids: Smith was the....
7th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
951st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Ohio in 2005
16th murderer executed in Ohio since 1976
GEORGIA LAST MEAL
STEPHEN MOBLEY
March 1, 2005
...today's theme: domino's...
Last Meal: Mobley ate most of his requested meal: a steak, fries, a pint of butter pecan ice cream, a pint of chocolate chip ice cream and two soft drinks.
The skinny: Mobley was sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting death of a 24-year-old college student working as a night manger at a Domino's Pizza. Mobley shot the victim in the back of his head during an armed robbery. He then robbed at gunpoint six more restaurants and dry cleaners during a three-week period.
Prior to the murder, Mobley had been convicted of at least seven other crimes, including credit card theft and burglary, that were committed between 1983 and 1986, prison records show.
More skinny: Upon arrest, Mobley made statements to the police confessing to the murder and the robbery of the pizza store. Following his incarceration, Mobley bragged about the murder and placed a Domino’s pizza box in his cell on the wall, and carried a domino piece in his pocket.
Legal notes: Unlike most inmates on death row who are indigent, Mobley's family was able to hire private attorneys to fight his execution. Mobley was represented by a former state Attorney General and a former DeKalb County District Attorney.
Last words and such: About a half hour before the execution, six guards led Mobley into the chamber and strapped him down. He was animated, smiling and laughing and talking with the warden. He chatted also as two nurses inserted the needles into his arm, and followed the procedure very closely. One of two friends who were among the witnesses waved to Mobley, and he smiled. He mouthed the words "thank you."
Mobley issued a lengthy final statement just before he was executed. "I would be remiss not to also acknowledge and make amends to my family and my friends. They know who they are. There are those that say I am a bigger person than I used to be, and I appreciate that. The opportunity I have been given, I atone for what sins I committed." He was asked if he wanted a last prayer. "Absolutely," he said. After the prayer, the fatal chemicals were injected and Mobley died.
Factoids: The victim's mother, had asked the state parole board to spare Mobley's life. She said through her son-in-law that no measure of satisfaction or closure would come to the family as a result of Mobley's execution.
Mobley's alleged lack of remorse and behavior in jail while awaiting trial for Collins' killing may have played a role in his execution, his lawyers said. Testimony during his trial indicated that Mobley had "Domino" tattooed on his back, hung a Domino's Pizza box in his cell and twice forcibly sodomized his cellmate.
His lawyer claims he has personally confirmed that Mobley has no tattoo that reads "Domino." The Department of Corrections confirmed that such a tattoo does not appear on Mobley's body.
Mobley was the....
6th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
950th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Georgia in 2005
38th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976
february 2005
TEXAS LAST MEAL
DENNIS BAGWELL
February 17, 2005
...a tattoo on his left arm that spelled out in big letters: "MOM." ...
Last Meal: Bagwell requested a beef steak, medium rare with A1 Sauce, three fried chicken breast, three fried chicken thighs, BBQ ribs, a large order of french fries, a large order of onion rings, a pound of fried bacon, a dozen scrambled eggs with onions, fried tatters with onions, sliced tomatoes, a salad with ranch dressing, two hamburgers with everything, peach pie or cobbler, ketchup, salt and pepper, milk and coffee, ice tea with real sugar.
The skinny: Bagwell, 41, was executed for the slayings of his mother and three others in a bloody spree almost 10 years ago near San Antonio. The killing was in a dispute over money. According to testimony, Bagwell asked his mother for money and became enraged when she only gave him $20. The massacre ensued.
Bagwell died having never admitted guilt.
Bagwell denied involvement in the massacre of his mother, her niece, the niece's daughter, and granddaughter of his mothers common-law husband. All were slain at a mobile home in a rural area.
Prosecutors described Bagwell at his trial as a "natural-born killer." The former meat salesman was on parole at the time of the quadruple slayings, serving 13 years of an 18-year sentence for attempted capital murder for slitting the throat of an illegal immigrant.
Bagwell also was convicted of another slaying that occurred two weeks before the killings. In that case, he received a life prison term for stomping to death a janitor at a bar.
Last words and such: Bagwell spoke few last words from the death chamber, saying only, "I love you all," to his few friends who witnessed his execution.
Factoids: Bagwell was the....
5th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
949th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
3rd murderer executed in Texas in 2005
339th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
At least 10 other Texas inmates have execution dates over the next three months.
Bagwell's collection of tattoos included one on his left arm that spelled out in big letters: "MOM."
january 2005
GEORGIA LAST MEAL
TIMOTHY DON CARR
January 25, 2005
...under the "diabolical" spell of his girlfriend...
Last Meal: Two Mushroom and Swiss Hamburgers, French Fries, a Vanilla Milkshake, a Chocolate Milkshake, and two soft drinks.
The skinny: Carr, 34, was executed Tuesday for fatally stabbing a teenager and beating him with a baseball bat as he pleaded for his life during a robbery in 1992.
More skinny: Carr, his girl friend, and the 17-year-old victim attended a party on the evening of the crimes, where they had been drinking alcohol and an hallucinogenic tea and smoking marijuana before the murder.
Carr and his gal discussed robbing the victim at the party. In the early hours of the following day, the girlfriend took the victim's car keys and talked him into letting her drive him home. She drove the victim, Carr, and two juveniles to a remote area in the victim's car, a Pontiac Grand Prix. During the ride, Carr showed one of the juveniles a large knife and whispered that he intended to kill the victim. When they stopped the car on a dirt road, and when the victim opened the trunk to look for more drugs, Carr grabbed the victim's hair, pulled his head back and slashed his throat and beat him in the head with a baseball bat. They dragged the victim's body to the roadside, leaving him to die from his injuries.
Carr and his girlfriend fled to Tennessee in the victim's car and were arrested following a high speed chase. After receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, they were placed in the back of a police car in which police had activated a hidden tape recorder. Their recorded conversation, in which Carr admitted killing the victim, was introduced into evidence at Carr's trial.
The jury was also authorized to find from the evidence that the knife used to stab the victim was discovered in the girlfriend's purse. She was convicted and sentenced to a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
Carr claimed to be under the "diabolical" spell of his girlfriend when he stabbed and beat the man to death.
Leading up...A court-appointed forensic psychologist who examined Carr said in an affidavit Friday that Carr was mentally ill when he committed the crime and had recently ingested ``massive quantities of hallucinogenic mushrooms.''
Last words and such: "Peace," Carr said before a sedative, lung-paralyzing drug and the poison potassium chloride were injected into his arms. Earlier, while still in a holding cell, he apologized for his crime and said it was time for justice to be done.
Factoids: About 16 anti-death penalty protesters gathered outside the prison.
Carr was the...
4th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
948th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Georgia in 2005
37th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
TROY KUNKLE
January 25, 2005
..."No Remorse" from the album "Kill 'Em All."...
Last Meal: Fried chicken, chicken fried steak, a hamburger with cheese and onions, french fries, cauliflower, cinnamon rolls, apple pie and milk.
The skinny: Kunkle was executed by lethal injection for the robbery and murder more than 20 years ago of a man carrying $13 in his wallet.
Kunkle's execution was delayed for two hours as the U.S. Supreme Court considered last minute appeals by his lawyers. Twice last year Kunkle was spared from the death chamber by court rulings on the day he was set to die. The most recent halt came Nov. 18 when the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the execution about 40 minutes after Kunkle could have been strapped to the death chamber gurney for injection. Tuesday's execution date was his sixth.
Kunkle, 38, spent more than half of his life on death row.
More skinny: Kunkle and three companions drove from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. They were high on drugs and beer and looking for someone to rob when they saw the victim walking along a road, offered him a ride, and demanded his wallet. Kunkle then told one of his friends to kill the man. When he refused, Kunkle took the gun and stuck it up against the victim’s head and said, “We’re going to take you back here and blow your brains out.” After one of his friends drove the car behind a skating rink, Kunkle shot the man in the back of the head and took his wallet. They opened the car door and pushed the body out.
After the shooting, Kunkle quoted the following line from a song called "No Remorse" from an album "Kill 'Em All" by the heavy metal rock group Metallica: “Another day, another death, another sorrow, another breath,” and told the group that the murder was “beautiful.”
Kunkle wrote METALLICA lyrics, alleging the lyrics from "No Remorse" inspired him to kill. This disturbed the band's lead singer, James Hetfield, when he learned how Kunkle reacted to the verse. Hetfield, in 1984, said, "I guess this kid took it into his own ways. Of course, we're upset but I mean we had nothing directly to do with it."
Prosecutors remembered him at one point during his trial playing an air guitar in the courtroom as lawyers discussed whether the Metallica song could be admitted into evidence.
Kunkle has the METALLICA logo tattooed on his left arm.
One accomplice received a life sentence for capital murder. Two other accomplices were both sentenced to 30 years for murder.
Last words and such: "I would like to ask you to forgive me. I made a mistake and I am sorry for what I did. All I can do is ask you to forgive me. I love you and I will see all of you in Heaven. I love you very much. Praise Jesus. I love you." He then recited the Lord's Prayer.
"Shame to Texas," his wife said as she watched him die.
Factoids: Kunkle was the...
3rd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
947th murderer executed in U.S. since 197
62nd murderer executed in Texas in 2005
338th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
CALIFORNIA LAST MEAL
DONALD BEARDSLEE
January 19, 2005
He won't be back...
LAST MEAL: Beardslee refused a special final meal. He was offered the same meal as other inmates of chili, macaroni, mixed vegetables, salad and cake, which he declined.
His only request was for a glass of grapefruit juice earlier in the afternoon.
THE SKINNY: Beardslee was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison for killing two young women in 1981 while on parole from an earlier murder conviction. He shot a 23-year-old mother of two in the face with a shotgun and slit the throat of a 19-year-old girl, killing both. Prosecutors said the women were killed in revenge for a $185 drug debt claimed by another man.
LEGAL MACHINATIONS: At a state clemency hearing in Sacramento, defense attorneys asked Schwarzenegger for mercy in the case, saying that Beardslee suffered from previously undetected brain damage that caused him to commit the two 1981 murders as well as the fatal stabbing of a Missouri woman in 1969 for which he served seven years in prison.
They also questioned the competence of one of his Redwood City trial lawyers, who read Bon Appetit magazine during part of Beardslee's testimony.
But Schwarzenegger rejected the brain damage theory, noting that Beardslee functions at a very high level, earning "A's, Bs and Cs when he attended the College of San Mateo while he was on parole for the Missouri murder."
But Schwarzenegger said Beardslee's apparent mental impairment did not prevent him from helping to plan the killings, acting purposefully during the crimes and trying to cover them up. The governor cited evidence that Beardslee told an accomplice to buy tape to bind the victims, helped to wipe down a van to remove fingerprints and, along with another man, pulled down one victim's pants to make the crime look like a sexual assault.
"These actions show Beardslee's consciousness of guilt and the nature and consequences of the murders he committed,'' Schwarzenegger wrote. "There is no question in my mind that at the time Beardslee committed the murders he knew what he was doing -- and he knew it was wrong.''
In an extraordinarily detailed statement, Gov. Schwarzenegger said: "Nothing in his petition or the record of his case convinces me that he did not understand the gravity of his actions or that these heinous murders were wrong."
Shortly after the governor's rejection, the U.S. Supreme Court without comment denied Beardslee's application for a stay. That cleared the way for Beardslee's execution at 12:01 this morning, the state's 11th execution since voters reinstated the death penalty in 1978 and the first under the Schwarzenegger administration.
THE LEAD-UP TO: Beardslee spent the last day of his life smiling and talking to his legal team and conferring with his spiritual advisor.
Not until the hour approached midnight did the condemned killer show any recognition that his time was up.
"He (Beardslee) was very relaxed during the daytime; very talkative and smiling with his legal counsel," said a prison spokesperson. "He seemed to still have hope that there might be some intervention. It was only when we told him that in five minutes all his visitors would be asked to leave that his demeanor changed."
Last words and such: By the time the 61-year-old Beardslee, wearing a new blue prison work shirt and denim trousers, reached the octagonal execution chamber — designed as a gas chamber — he appeared pale and frightened. He was allowed to carry his personal Bible into the execution antechamber.
He offered no resistance as four prison guards strapped him to a gurney in the cramped space. He did not whimper or call out when prison medics struggled for nearly 15 minutes to find veins on both arms.
Beardslee moved his head and yawned deeply as the drugs began to take effect. Three minutes after that, he stopped breathing.
Beardslee made no last statement.
California: California leads the nation with 640 inmates on death row, but ranks 18th in executions performed since 1976. Texas ranks first in executions with 337, and second in inmates on death row, with 455 sentenced to death.
Because of the complicated appeals process, condemned California prisoners wait an average of more than 20 years between the date of sentencing and execution. In fact, most inmates on the state's death row die of natural causes.
Factoids: A local reporter, one of 13 journalists who witnessed the execution, fainted and was carried out of the room by guards. It was not the execution, she said later, only that she had not eaten since the morning.
As about 300 opponents of the death penalty held a vigil outside the prison.
Demonstrators who had massed outside the prison earlier in the day to protest the execution grew silent as the hour of Beardslee's death approached. For roughly 20 minutes after the execution was slated to began, the protesters drifted away down the streets of Point San Quentin Village, walking slowly and silently back to cars they had parked as much as a mile away.
One death penalty supporter carried a sign reading "Bye Bye Beardslee."
Beardsley was the...
2nd murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
946th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in California in 2005
11th murderer executed in California since 1976
TEXAS LAST MEAL
JAMES PORTER
January 4, 2005
The kitchen is open....
Last Meal: Two extra crispy fried chicken breasts, two thighs, onion rings, french fries, fried okra, five slices of buttered garlic bread, a bowl of country gravy, a couple slices of onions, pickles, jalapeno peppers, ketchup, mustard, sliced tomato, one pot of thick coffee and a banana split.
The skinny: Porter was executed for fatally beating a convicted child molester nearly five years ago while in prison.
More skinny: In 1995, Porter was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 45 years imprisonment. Porter shot a 40 year old male transient two times in the head and dumped his body in a water well. Porter expressed no remorse for this murder and thought he had done society a favor. While imprisoned, in 2000 Porter beat to death fellow inmate in the prison day room. Porter struck the man, who was seated at a table, from behind with a rock sheathed in a pillow case. The man fell to the floor and lay helpless on the ground as Porter continued to bludgeon his face and head with the rock. When the pillow case finally ripped, Porter stabbed him in the head and face with a makeshift knife. Porter then stomped on his head and face with steel-toed work boots. Once the attack was over, Porter surrendered to a correctional officer.
Porter gave a written statement to investigators, confessing to the murder. In his confession, Porter admitted that he had been planning to kill someone for some time, and had decided to use the rock and the knife the week before the murder. Porter later added that the victim was a convicted child molester who had made a pass at him.
The victim was serving a 15-year term for sexually assaulting a child.
Porter ran away from home when he was about 14 and linked up with supremacists who shared his hatred of gays, Norris said. In prison, Porter claimed allegiance to white gangs and acquired extensive tattoos, including letters that spell ``HATE'' on four fingers of his right hand.
Last words and such: Porter, who dropped his appeals and ordered nothing be done to stop the first execution of the year, apologized to the relatives of his victims and expressed love to his family. |
