Thanks so much! A special thanks goes out to Granny B for her time and caring.

In your opinion, how long are we looking at as far as the execution date? Months? Years? I've been in "hurry up and wait" mode for 14+ years. So many of Steven's relatives have passed away since and didn't get to see JUSTICE served. It's a damn shame, too.

Update

Life hasn't been easy the past 6 months but this is a turn for the better. Thanks for all of your support.

Article from June 2011

After reading this article I couldn't help but wonder if Balentine's attorneys didn't call witnesses on his behalf (He confessed, for crying out loud!) or bring up his troubled childhood during the trial so they could use it now like they are?! One would think that even if you have a court appointed attorney, they don't want their client to die. Why wouldn't they exhaust every resource? I just don't understand. The higher court was supposed to review this case sometime this month but I've yet to hear anything.

Maybe, deep down I want Balentine to have hope. I want him to think he has a chance to live. His 3 victims certainly weren't given a chance. On second thought, I want him to pay with his life for not only the lives he took but the ones he ruined. His violent acts of selfishness don't deserve even the faintest of reviews. He should be an afterthought. Instead he wastes more time, resources and money while fighting to live. WHY?!?!?! Accept your punishment and die already! You've had plenty of time to write your pen pals in Europe. At least you get a chance to say your goodbyes.

Arrrggghhh!

Thank you so much!! This is exactly what I needed! I appreciate the warm welcomes and am glad to help in any way I can. I am in Kansas City, currently, but my family is all over the Texas Panhandle. Steven's mother couldn't take living in Amarillo any longer after her only son was murdered so she's since relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She has suffered so much since his death. I feel so helpless! Last June didn't help matters any. She made the trip to watch the execution only to be turned away just hours before. It truly bothers me the amount of scrambling done by Balentine's side in the final minutes which lead to his most recent Stay. I know as a family, we hope that Balentine isn't on Death Row for as many days as Steven lived. Steven was only 15 and so far Balentine has been locked up for over 10 years. I know that the average wait on Death Row is right around 10 years. My thinking may not be "right" or even "politically correct" but I believe as much mercy should be shown to him as he showed his 3 victims (and their families). NONE! From what I've gathered, he is now claiming is council was ineffective and they failed to bring up his abusive childhood. My childhood was no walk through the park yet it never drove me to kill anyone. I don't buy that for one minute. We all make choices in our lives and I firmly believe his "choices" will ultimately result in his death. Anything less than him being executed will be a great injustice to all victims involved. IMHO, he took 3 lives in a cowardly fashion and should therefor pay with his own.

Thanks for giving me a venue where I can voice my opinion and don't have to worry about some group over in Europe making my life hell for standing up for what I believe. Even before this case I was pro DP. It's a great feeling knowing I can talk about that freely here.

Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Hello. Thanks for allowing me to join. I hope I'm putting this in the right place!

Back in June of this year, John Balentine received a last minute Stay of Execution. Last I checked (late June 2011), the USSC was going to review the case in October 2011. I am just wondering if anyone here knows anything or could direct me to a site with information? I've done some searching but nothing really comes up after June 2011.

I am absolutely glad I found this forum! I won't mention the name of another forum (think Prison) that I stumbled across because almost every post that had to do with Balentine went against every fiber of my being. Balentine shot and KILLED my (then) 15 year old cousin, along with 2 other teens.  I won't get into any more specifics. I'm sure the information is out there on his crime(s). I don't mean to sound cliché but I really need closure on this. It's so hard (for me) to see the Execution delayed while Balentine tries to fight his case. He didn't give the 3 teens a chance to fight for their lives (he shot them all in the back of the head while they were sleeping) and it pains me to see him fighting for his now.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to getting acquainted with this forum and its members. I haven't really opened up to many people regarding this topic. I have a "Hope for the Best but Expect the Worst" outlook. That being said, should the worst case scenario for me come true (sentence commuted), I'm hoping to start the healing process NOW by joining and venting.

DD