Nathan Dunlap Reprieve: Hickenlooper's Decision To Block Execution Sharply Criticized
By DAN ELLIOTT 05/23/13 11:10 AM ET EDT AP
DENVER — Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper's decision to block the execution of convicted killer Nathan Dunlap for as long as he is governor infuriated victims' relatives and drew quick criticism from Republicans ahead of the 2014 election.
Hickenlooper on Wednesday granted an indefinite reprieve to Dunlap, who is on death row for the ambush slayings of four people – three teenagers and a 50-year-old mother – in an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in 1993.
The reprieve essentially guarantees Dunlap, 38, will stay alive at least through Jan. 13, 2015, the last day of Hickenlooper's first term.
"I think it's highly unlikely that I will revisit it," Hickenlooper said.
"We feel the governor has taken the cowardly way out," said Marj Crowell, whose 19-year-old daughter, Sylvia Crowell, was killed. "They're just hoping we'll forget about this until we get the next governor."
Hickenlooper is running for re-election next year, and Dunlap's fate is certain to be a campaign issue.
Citing Hickenlooper's decision, former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo – who ran as a third-party candidate in the last gubernatorial election – announced Thursday he will run again as a Republican.
Wednesday's decision prompted unusually personal criticism.
"Hickenlooper should've been up front with voters when he ran for office if he could not carry out the death penalty," GOP Attorney General John Suthers said in a statement.
"He's made himself into Nathan Dunlap's guardian angel," said George Brauchler, the Republican district attorney in the office that prosecuted Dunlap. "He's said, `As long as you keep me in office, Nathan Dunlap never has to face death.'"
"This is something we've seen consistently out of this governor," said Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, minority leader in the state's lower house. "`I'm not going to make a decision.'"
Hickenlooper has an image as a pragmatic problem-solver, and he enjoyed bipartisan popularity until this year. But he has been forced to take a stand on an increasing number of divisive issues since his party won back the statehouse in November.
He signed sweeping gun control legislation and approved laws to help people who are in the country illegally and to establish civil unions for same-sex couples this year.
On the death penalty, Hickenlooper has appeared to be searching for a middle way.
In a December interview with The Associated Press, he said of repealing the death penalty: "I wrestle with this, right now, on a pretty much daily basis."
Legislators this year considered a bill that would have ended the death penalty, but they dropped it when Hickenlooper sent word he might veto it.
In his reprieve order, Hickenlooper said the death penalty is used inconsistently across Colorado, and he cited problems in obtaining the drugs required for lethal injection, the execution method mandated by state law. He also said many states and nations are moving toward banning executions.
Dunlap, whose execution was scheduled for the week of Aug. 18, got only a reprieve, not the clemency he sought. Clemency would have removed the possibility of execution and changed his sentence to life without parole.
"Mr. Dunlap was grateful. His expressions of remorse were genuine. He is truly sad for what happened," said Phil Cherner, one of his attorneys. "This is not a day to celebrate."
Cherner has said Dunlap had undiagnosed bipolar disorder at the time of the crime, and that his attitude has changed since the state prison system began medicating him in 2006.
www.denverpost.com
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Messages - Grinning Grim Reaper
on: May 24, 2013, 08:06:41 AM 1 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13 - Stayed
on: May 23, 2013, 12:42:40 PM 2 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13 - Stayed
Attorney General Releases Statement; D.A. Speaks About Dunlap Reprieve
By: KKTV Updated: Thu 5:06 AM, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, Governor Hickenlooper issued a reprieve for convicted killer Nathan Dunlap. Dunlap shot and killed four people in an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese in 1993.
Dunlap will now serve a sentence of life without parole, although since the governor granted a reprieve and not clemency, Hickenlooper or a future governor can still revisit the issue and reverse Wednesday's decision.
Attorney General John Suthers issued the following statement in response:
“It’s been my observation over many years that the extraordinary powers we give the president and our state governors is the one place in the criminal justice system where personal philosophy can trump the rule of law. And make no mistake about it — that is exactly what has happened in the case of People v. Nathan Dunlap. This is a horrible crime in which four wholly-innocent people were brutally murdered. The defendant was eligible for the death penalty under Colorado law. The district attorney believed the defendant deserved the death penalty. A jury of twelve citizens of Colorado determined that he deserved the death penalty. And a plethora of appellate courts have upheld the jury’s decision. But Governor Hickenlooper simply cannot cope with the task of carrying out the execution of Nathan Dunlap or exercising his constitutional mandate.
Executive authority to modify criminal punishment is part of our constitutional system, and I respect that. However, the citizens of Colorado deserve honesty and the victims deserve finality. I believe the governor’s decision does not stem from anything but his personal discomfort about the death penalty. I also believe that the governor should have been much more up front with the voters when he ran for office if he couldn’t carry out the death penalty.
I have an excellent working relationship with the governor and I respect him very much. Yet it’s been apparent to me that issues of crime and punishment are not his strength. John Hickenlooper is an optimist.
He has proven to be uncomfortable confronting the perpetrators of evil in our society. I saw this when I discussed last year’s juvenile direct-file bill with him. He had trouble comprehending that a 16 or 17-year-old is capable of brutal acts deserves adult punishment. I saw it in his naïve views about the role of administrative segregation in our prisons. And I’ve heard it in my discussions with him about the death penalty. The governor is certainly entitled to these views, but granting a reprieve simply means that his successor will have to make the tough choice that he cannot.
Fifty-year-old Margaret Kohlberg, 19-year-old Sylvia Crowell, 17-year-old Ben Grant, and 17-year-old Colleen O’Connor all died at Nathan Dunlap’s hand. Bobby Stevens was shot and left for dead. They were the victims in this case and Mr. Dunlap made sure that their voices could not be heard.
The governor, by refusing to make any hard decisions today — whether in carrying out Dunlap’s sentence or conclusively granting clemency — has only guaranteed suffering and delayed justice for the victims’ loved ones for years to come.”
www.kktv.com
By: KKTV Updated: Thu 5:06 AM, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, Governor Hickenlooper issued a reprieve for convicted killer Nathan Dunlap. Dunlap shot and killed four people in an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese in 1993.
Dunlap will now serve a sentence of life without parole, although since the governor granted a reprieve and not clemency, Hickenlooper or a future governor can still revisit the issue and reverse Wednesday's decision.
Attorney General John Suthers issued the following statement in response:
“It’s been my observation over many years that the extraordinary powers we give the president and our state governors is the one place in the criminal justice system where personal philosophy can trump the rule of law. And make no mistake about it — that is exactly what has happened in the case of People v. Nathan Dunlap. This is a horrible crime in which four wholly-innocent people were brutally murdered. The defendant was eligible for the death penalty under Colorado law. The district attorney believed the defendant deserved the death penalty. A jury of twelve citizens of Colorado determined that he deserved the death penalty. And a plethora of appellate courts have upheld the jury’s decision. But Governor Hickenlooper simply cannot cope with the task of carrying out the execution of Nathan Dunlap or exercising his constitutional mandate.
Executive authority to modify criminal punishment is part of our constitutional system, and I respect that. However, the citizens of Colorado deserve honesty and the victims deserve finality. I believe the governor’s decision does not stem from anything but his personal discomfort about the death penalty. I also believe that the governor should have been much more up front with the voters when he ran for office if he couldn’t carry out the death penalty.
I have an excellent working relationship with the governor and I respect him very much. Yet it’s been apparent to me that issues of crime and punishment are not his strength. John Hickenlooper is an optimist.
He has proven to be uncomfortable confronting the perpetrators of evil in our society. I saw this when I discussed last year’s juvenile direct-file bill with him. He had trouble comprehending that a 16 or 17-year-old is capable of brutal acts deserves adult punishment. I saw it in his naïve views about the role of administrative segregation in our prisons. And I’ve heard it in my discussions with him about the death penalty. The governor is certainly entitled to these views, but granting a reprieve simply means that his successor will have to make the tough choice that he cannot.
Fifty-year-old Margaret Kohlberg, 19-year-old Sylvia Crowell, 17-year-old Ben Grant, and 17-year-old Colleen O’Connor all died at Nathan Dunlap’s hand. Bobby Stevens was shot and left for dead. They were the victims in this case and Mr. Dunlap made sure that their voices could not be heard.
The governor, by refusing to make any hard decisions today — whether in carrying out Dunlap’s sentence or conclusively granting clemency — has only guaranteed suffering and delayed justice for the victims’ loved ones for years to come.”
www.kktv.com
on: May 23, 2013, 12:38:18 PM 3 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13 - Stayed
Juror In Nathan Dunlap Case Upset About Execution Delay
By: Sarah Schwabe
Updated: Thu 4:19 AM, May 23, 2013
A member of the jury that sentenced Nathan Dunlap to die is talking to 11 News about the governor's decision to stop the execution.
Steve tells 11 News he is upset with the choice Governor Hickenlooper made.
The trial was held at the El Paso County Courthouse back in 1996 because the judge ordered a change of venue.
Steve was part of the jury that convicted Dunlap and then sentenced him to be executed. He is frustrated that the decision he and 11 other jurors made back then was so easily overturned.
"Why do you need a jury system if the governor can overrule? I was disappointed with the ruling today and I disagree with the governor," said Steve.
Steve tells 11 News the trial was intense. He saw images and heard testimony that he will never forget.
After the trial, he and several other jurors saw a psychologist to talk about the gruesome pictures they saw.
Steve says he has never regretted the decision to put Dunlap to death.
"This was a terrible, heinous crime. No one is speaking for those people that died," said Steve. "I slept well after my verdict, and I still sleep well after 17 years."
Steve is confident that the next governor elected to office will move forward with Dunlap's execution.
www.kktv.com
By: Sarah Schwabe
Updated: Thu 4:19 AM, May 23, 2013
A member of the jury that sentenced Nathan Dunlap to die is talking to 11 News about the governor's decision to stop the execution.
Steve tells 11 News he is upset with the choice Governor Hickenlooper made.
The trial was held at the El Paso County Courthouse back in 1996 because the judge ordered a change of venue.
Steve was part of the jury that convicted Dunlap and then sentenced him to be executed. He is frustrated that the decision he and 11 other jurors made back then was so easily overturned.
"Why do you need a jury system if the governor can overrule? I was disappointed with the ruling today and I disagree with the governor," said Steve.
Steve tells 11 News the trial was intense. He saw images and heard testimony that he will never forget.
After the trial, he and several other jurors saw a psychologist to talk about the gruesome pictures they saw.
Steve says he has never regretted the decision to put Dunlap to death.
"This was a terrible, heinous crime. No one is speaking for those people that died," said Steve. "I slept well after my verdict, and I still sleep well after 17 years."
Steve is confident that the next governor elected to office will move forward with Dunlap's execution.
www.kktv.com
on: May 23, 2013, 12:35:49 PM 4 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13 - Stayed
Colorado governor blasted for death-penalty reprieve in Chuck E. Cheese murders
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is under fire for his decision to block the execution of man convicted of massacring four people at a Chuck E. Cheese in Aurora, Colo., two decades ago.
The Democrat has vowed not to sign a death warrant for Nathan Dunlap as long as he's in office, even though he declined to back an outright repeal of capital punishment two months ago.
Hickenlooper's decision on Dunlap — a day before lawyers for Aurora movie-theater massacre suspect James Holmes were due in court to challenge the death-penalty statute — infuriated some victims' relatives and law-enforcement officials.
"He should die," former Aurora Police Officer Dan Jones, who was the first to arrive at Chuck E. Cheese the night of Dec. 14, 1993, told NBC station KUSA.
"What he did was horrific. And now 20 years later...the governor passes the buck."
Bob Crowell, whose 19-year-old daughter Sylvia was one of those killed, called Hickenlooper a "chicken governor."
"We've waited an awful long time," Crowell said after a heated conference call with the governor on Wednesday. "It's a little like carrying a knife in my back. Today, that night was severely twisted."
Colorado has had the death penalty since 1977, although only one person has been put to death since then and there are just three on Death Row.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says he will block the execution of convicted Chuck E. Cheese massacre killer Nathan Dunlap for as long as he is in office.
Dunlap, who ambushed the restaurant workers after he was fired, was scheduled for an Aug. 18 execution. Hickenlooper signed an executive order that will remain in effect at least until his first term ends in 2015.
The governor is running for re-election, and his critics accused him of trying to have it both ways on the divisive death penalty issue.
"It's not a perfect decision and I recognize that," he told KUSA. "But I think the reasons we are doing it this way override that lack of closure [for the victims' families]."
Hickenlooper said he did not support a bill to repeal capital punishment earlier in the year because he did not want to force that decision on his constituents.
At the same time, he said, he could not in good conscience let Dunlap be put to death when studies show execution is not a deterrent to crime and is often applied inconsistently.
“It’s hard to defend the death penalty," he said.
Dunlap's lawyers had asked Hickenlooper to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole, but he declined to do that, leaving open the possibility for his successor to overturn the executive order and send the 39-year-old to the death chamber.
Araphoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said Hickenlooper's move would please few people.
"One person will go to bed with smile on his face and that's Nathan Dunlap," Brauchler said.
www.nbcnews.com
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is under fire for his decision to block the execution of man convicted of massacring four people at a Chuck E. Cheese in Aurora, Colo., two decades ago.
The Democrat has vowed not to sign a death warrant for Nathan Dunlap as long as he's in office, even though he declined to back an outright repeal of capital punishment two months ago.
Hickenlooper's decision on Dunlap — a day before lawyers for Aurora movie-theater massacre suspect James Holmes were due in court to challenge the death-penalty statute — infuriated some victims' relatives and law-enforcement officials.
"He should die," former Aurora Police Officer Dan Jones, who was the first to arrive at Chuck E. Cheese the night of Dec. 14, 1993, told NBC station KUSA.
"What he did was horrific. And now 20 years later...the governor passes the buck."
Bob Crowell, whose 19-year-old daughter Sylvia was one of those killed, called Hickenlooper a "chicken governor."
"We've waited an awful long time," Crowell said after a heated conference call with the governor on Wednesday. "It's a little like carrying a knife in my back. Today, that night was severely twisted."
Colorado has had the death penalty since 1977, although only one person has been put to death since then and there are just three on Death Row.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says he will block the execution of convicted Chuck E. Cheese massacre killer Nathan Dunlap for as long as he is in office.
Dunlap, who ambushed the restaurant workers after he was fired, was scheduled for an Aug. 18 execution. Hickenlooper signed an executive order that will remain in effect at least until his first term ends in 2015.
The governor is running for re-election, and his critics accused him of trying to have it both ways on the divisive death penalty issue.
"It's not a perfect decision and I recognize that," he told KUSA. "But I think the reasons we are doing it this way override that lack of closure [for the victims' families]."
Hickenlooper said he did not support a bill to repeal capital punishment earlier in the year because he did not want to force that decision on his constituents.
At the same time, he said, he could not in good conscience let Dunlap be put to death when studies show execution is not a deterrent to crime and is often applied inconsistently.
“It’s hard to defend the death penalty," he said.
Dunlap's lawyers had asked Hickenlooper to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole, but he declined to do that, leaving open the possibility for his successor to overturn the executive order and send the 39-year-old to the death chamber.
Araphoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said Hickenlooper's move would please few people.
"One person will go to bed with smile on his face and that's Nathan Dunlap," Brauchler said.
www.nbcnews.com
on: May 23, 2013, 10:41:41 AM 5 General Crime / U.S. Crime Related News / Florida Genius Nails Himself
Posted on Wednesday, 05.22.13
Murder plot recorded on phone after man butt-dials 911
By Carli Teproff
Tip: If you’re plotting to kill somebody, try not to “pocket dial” 911 and have your plans recorded.
That’s exactly what Scott Simon did after getting into a fight with another man at a Waffle House in the early hours of May 5, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
On a recorded line, Simon can be heard telling someone else that he’s going to follow the victim home and kill him. Minutes later, 33-year-old Nicholas Walker was shot and killed while driving his car onto Interstate 95 in Oakland Park.
“This is a first for me,” said BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella. “Criminals say crazy things all the time, but I’ve never seen anyone call a recorded line.”
Homicide detectives arrested Simon, 24, of Pompano Beach Tuesday night. He is charged with first-degree murder. Moschella said while detectives do not believe Simon was the triggerman, he did coordinate the shooting.
When deputies arrived at the shooting scene shortly after 6:40 a.m. May 5, they found Walker’s silver Buick crashed into a guard rail. Deputies and Oakland Park Fire-Rescue put out a fire in the engine compartment, but Walker had already died of gunshot wounds.
The investigation prompted a three-hour closure of all southbound lanes of I-95.
Detectives are now seeking two other suspects: the person who pulled the trigger, and another man, who was seen in the 2012 black Buick GS with him the morning of the shooting.
BSO has released two surveillance tapes, one showing the men arguing outside the Waffle House with several witnesses watching, and another of the black Buick and a silver car leaving the restaurant.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Bryan Tutler at 954-321-4281. Anonymous tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers of Broward County at 954-493-8477 or online at www.browardcrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
The errant 911 call, BSO said, will not be released.
Scott remains in Broward’s main jail with no bond.
As for the call, Moschella said Simon’s apparent butt-dial helped police.
“He had no idea he called 911,” Moschella said. “He basically told on himself.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/22/3411046/bso-mans-murder-plot-recorded.html#storylink=cpy
Murder plot recorded on phone after man butt-dials 911
By Carli Teproff
Tip: If you’re plotting to kill somebody, try not to “pocket dial” 911 and have your plans recorded.
That’s exactly what Scott Simon did after getting into a fight with another man at a Waffle House in the early hours of May 5, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
On a recorded line, Simon can be heard telling someone else that he’s going to follow the victim home and kill him. Minutes later, 33-year-old Nicholas Walker was shot and killed while driving his car onto Interstate 95 in Oakland Park.
“This is a first for me,” said BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella. “Criminals say crazy things all the time, but I’ve never seen anyone call a recorded line.”
Homicide detectives arrested Simon, 24, of Pompano Beach Tuesday night. He is charged with first-degree murder. Moschella said while detectives do not believe Simon was the triggerman, he did coordinate the shooting.
When deputies arrived at the shooting scene shortly after 6:40 a.m. May 5, they found Walker’s silver Buick crashed into a guard rail. Deputies and Oakland Park Fire-Rescue put out a fire in the engine compartment, but Walker had already died of gunshot wounds.
The investigation prompted a three-hour closure of all southbound lanes of I-95.
Detectives are now seeking two other suspects: the person who pulled the trigger, and another man, who was seen in the 2012 black Buick GS with him the morning of the shooting.
BSO has released two surveillance tapes, one showing the men arguing outside the Waffle House with several witnesses watching, and another of the black Buick and a silver car leaving the restaurant.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Bryan Tutler at 954-321-4281. Anonymous tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers of Broward County at 954-493-8477 or online at www.browardcrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
The errant 911 call, BSO said, will not be released.
Scott remains in Broward’s main jail with no bond.
As for the call, Moschella said Simon’s apparent butt-dial helped police.
“He had no idea he called 911,” Moschella said. “He basically told on himself.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/22/3411046/bso-mans-murder-plot-recorded.html#storylink=cpy
on: May 23, 2013, 07:31:57 AM 6 General Death Penalty / Executed Offenders (Graveyard) / Re: Jeffrey Demond Williams - TX - 5/15/13 - Executed
Last words and such...
Asked to make a final statement before his death, Williams spoke quickly and angrily. 'You clown police,' he said, accusing them of 'killing innocent kids, murdering young kids.' 'Y'all are getting away with murder all the time,' he continued. 'When I kill one or pop one, y'all want to kill me.' He finished by saying: 'God has a plan for everything. 'I love everyone that loves me, I ain't got no love for anyone that don't love me.'
For his last meal Williams ate baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, great northern beans, apple crisp, and punch, tea, and water to drink.
Asked to make a final statement before his death, Williams spoke quickly and angrily. 'You clown police,' he said, accusing them of 'killing innocent kids, murdering young kids.' 'Y'all are getting away with murder all the time,' he continued. 'When I kill one or pop one, y'all want to kill me.' He finished by saying: 'God has a plan for everything. 'I love everyone that loves me, I ain't got no love for anyone that don't love me.'
For his last meal Williams ate baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, great northern beans, apple crisp, and punch, tea, and water to drink.
on: May 23, 2013, 07:28:25 AM 7 General Death Penalty / Executed Offenders (Graveyard) / Re: Carroll Joe Parr - TX - 5/7/13 - Executed
Last words and such...
In the seconds before being injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital, Carroll Joe Parr told the wife of his victim that she should talk to her brother and that he would “tell you the truth about what happened to your husband.” Then he said he had a “statement to the world.” He said he was “in the midst of the truth.” “I am good. I am straight,” Parr said.
He added that he wanted his “partners” or friends to know that he would “be back” like the Arnold Schwarzenegger “Terminator” film character. “I’m on my way back. These eyes will close, but they will be opened again,” he said before telling his family he loved them and thanking his spiritual adviser.
Parr's last meal was chicken patties with gravy, macaroni and cheese, carrots, pinto beans, sliced bread, with punch, tea, and water to drink. (Thank you Ty Treadwell!)
In the seconds before being injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital, Carroll Joe Parr told the wife of his victim that she should talk to her brother and that he would “tell you the truth about what happened to your husband.” Then he said he had a “statement to the world.” He said he was “in the midst of the truth.” “I am good. I am straight,” Parr said.
He added that he wanted his “partners” or friends to know that he would “be back” like the Arnold Schwarzenegger “Terminator” film character. “I’m on my way back. These eyes will close, but they will be opened again,” he said before telling his family he loved them and thanking his spiritual adviser.
Parr's last meal was chicken patties with gravy, macaroni and cheese, carrots, pinto beans, sliced bread, with punch, tea, and water to drink. (Thank you Ty Treadwell!)
on: May 23, 2013, 06:53:40 AM 8 General Death Penalty / Scheduled Executions / Re: Brian Darrell Davis - OK - 6/25/13
Two killers set for June executions forgo last meal requests
By Rachel Petersen
Staff Writer
The McAlester News-Capital
McALESTER — Two Oklahoma State Penitentiary death row inmates who are set to die by lethal injection in June have chosen to make no last meal requests.
In fact, both offenders have made no requests at all, said OSP Warden’s Assistant Terry Crenshaw. This includes last meal requests as well as requests for visitors on execution day. Crenshaw said the fact that the two inmates have chosen to make no last meal requests is quite out of the ordinary.
James Lewis DeRosa, 36, and Brian Darrell Davis, 39, received execution dates after their final appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, DeRosa was denied clemency by a 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Davis has yet to have a clemency hearing. DeRosa is set to die by lethal injection on June 18 at 6 p.m. in the prison’s death chamber. Davis is set for execution at 6 p.m. on June 25.
In 2001, DeRosa was found guilty of the October 2001 murders of Curtis Plummer, 73, and Gloria Plummer, 70, both of Poteau. The Plummers were found dead in their home with multiple stab wounds and with their throats cut.
In 2003, Davis was found guilty of the November 2001 murder and rape of his girlfriend’s mother, Jody Sanford, 52, of Ponca City. Sanford’s daughter found the body of her mother, who had been stabbed to death.
www.mcalesternews.com
By Rachel Petersen
Staff Writer
The McAlester News-Capital
McALESTER — Two Oklahoma State Penitentiary death row inmates who are set to die by lethal injection in June have chosen to make no last meal requests.
In fact, both offenders have made no requests at all, said OSP Warden’s Assistant Terry Crenshaw. This includes last meal requests as well as requests for visitors on execution day. Crenshaw said the fact that the two inmates have chosen to make no last meal requests is quite out of the ordinary.
James Lewis DeRosa, 36, and Brian Darrell Davis, 39, received execution dates after their final appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, DeRosa was denied clemency by a 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Davis has yet to have a clemency hearing. DeRosa is set to die by lethal injection on June 18 at 6 p.m. in the prison’s death chamber. Davis is set for execution at 6 p.m. on June 25.
In 2001, DeRosa was found guilty of the October 2001 murders of Curtis Plummer, 73, and Gloria Plummer, 70, both of Poteau. The Plummers were found dead in their home with multiple stab wounds and with their throats cut.
In 2003, Davis was found guilty of the November 2001 murder and rape of his girlfriend’s mother, Jody Sanford, 52, of Ponca City. Sanford’s daughter found the body of her mother, who had been stabbed to death.
www.mcalesternews.com
on: May 23, 2013, 06:52:19 AM 9 General Death Penalty / Scheduled Executions / Re: James Lewis DeRosa - OK - 6/18/13
Two killers set for June executions forgo last meal requests
By Rachel Petersen
Staff Writer
The McAlester News-Capital
McALESTER — Two Oklahoma State Penitentiary death row inmates who are set to die by lethal injection in June have chosen to make no last meal requests.
In fact, both offenders have made no requests at all, said OSP Warden’s Assistant Terry Crenshaw. This includes last meal requests as well as requests for visitors on execution day. Crenshaw said the fact that the two inmates have chosen to make no last meal requests is quite out of the ordinary.
James Lewis DeRosa, 36, and Brian Darrell Davis, 39, received execution dates after their final appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, DeRosa was denied clemency by a 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Davis has yet to have a clemency hearing. DeRosa is set to die by lethal injection on June 18 at 6 p.m. in the prison’s death chamber. Davis is set for execution at 6 p.m. on June 25.
In 2001, DeRosa was found guilty of the October 2001 murders of Curtis Plummer, 73, and Gloria Plummer, 70, both of Poteau. The Plummers were found dead in their home with multiple stab wounds and with their throats cut.
In 2003, Davis was found guilty of the November 2001 murder and rape of his girlfriend’s mother, Jody Sanford, 52, of Ponca City. Sanford’s daughter found the body of her mother, who had been stabbed to death.
www.mcalesternews.com
Damn and they had Sonic, Pizza Hut, Chilis, Long John Silver's or KFC to spend their $15 at!
By Rachel Petersen
Staff Writer
The McAlester News-Capital
McALESTER — Two Oklahoma State Penitentiary death row inmates who are set to die by lethal injection in June have chosen to make no last meal requests.
In fact, both offenders have made no requests at all, said OSP Warden’s Assistant Terry Crenshaw. This includes last meal requests as well as requests for visitors on execution day. Crenshaw said the fact that the two inmates have chosen to make no last meal requests is quite out of the ordinary.
James Lewis DeRosa, 36, and Brian Darrell Davis, 39, received execution dates after their final appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, DeRosa was denied clemency by a 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Davis has yet to have a clemency hearing. DeRosa is set to die by lethal injection on June 18 at 6 p.m. in the prison’s death chamber. Davis is set for execution at 6 p.m. on June 25.
In 2001, DeRosa was found guilty of the October 2001 murders of Curtis Plummer, 73, and Gloria Plummer, 70, both of Poteau. The Plummers were found dead in their home with multiple stab wounds and with their throats cut.
In 2003, Davis was found guilty of the November 2001 murder and rape of his girlfriend’s mother, Jody Sanford, 52, of Ponca City. Sanford’s daughter found the body of her mother, who had been stabbed to death.
www.mcalesternews.com
Damn and they had Sonic, Pizza Hut, Chilis, Long John Silver's or KFC to spend their $15 at!
on: May 23, 2013, 06:47:10 AM 10 General Death Penalty / Scheduled Executions / Re: Marshall Lee Gore - FL - 6/24/13
Panel to examine condemned man's competency
Published: May 22, 2013
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a panel to examine whether a man set to be executed next month is mentally competent.
Scott issued an order Wednesday granting a temporary stay for 49-year-old Marshall Lee Gore, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 24. Gore's attorneys claim he's insane.
The order states a three-doctor commission is to meet next Tuesday and give Scott a report the next day. If Scott determines Gore to be mentally competent, the execution will go ahead as scheduled.
Gore killed Susan Roark and Robyn Novick and attempted to kill Tina Coralis in early 1988. Roark's body was found in Columbia County, and Novick's body was discovered in Miami-Dade County. Two days after killing Novick, Gore attacked Coralis and left her for dead near the scene where Novick's body was found earlier.
www.tbo.com
Warped, twisted, evil, soulless stone cold serial killer yes...mentally retarded no!
Published: May 22, 2013
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a panel to examine whether a man set to be executed next month is mentally competent.
Scott issued an order Wednesday granting a temporary stay for 49-year-old Marshall Lee Gore, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 24. Gore's attorneys claim he's insane.
The order states a three-doctor commission is to meet next Tuesday and give Scott a report the next day. If Scott determines Gore to be mentally competent, the execution will go ahead as scheduled.
Gore killed Susan Roark and Robyn Novick and attempted to kill Tina Coralis in early 1988. Roark's body was found in Columbia County, and Novick's body was discovered in Miami-Dade County. Two days after killing Novick, Gore attacked Coralis and left her for dead near the scene where Novick's body was found earlier.
www.tbo.com
Warped, twisted, evil, soulless stone cold serial killer yes...mentally retarded no!
on: May 22, 2013, 01:06:35 PM 11 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13
And there you have it...
Gov. Hickenlooper Delays Nathan Dunlap’s Execution
May 22, 2013 1:52 PM
DENVER (AP) – Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper indefinitely delayed the execution of convicted killer Nathan Dunlap on Wednesday, citing doubts about the death penalty.
Hickenlooper said he was granting Dunlap a reprieve, not clemency. Clemency would have changed Dunlap’s sentence to life without parole.
Under a reprieve, Dunlap could conceivably be executed one day. The reprieve will stay in force until Hickenlooper or another governor lifts it.
Hickenlooper said Colorado’s capital punishment system is flawed, citing a study that showed the death penalty was sought and imposed inconsistently.
He also said the state doesn’t have the drugs in place to carry out an execution by lethal injection, and that many states and nations are repealing the death penalty.
Hickenlooper said he granted a reprieve instead of clemency because he saw the question before him as being about the use of the death penalty, not about Dunlap.
Dunlap was convicted in 1996 of ambushing and killing four employees at a Denver-area Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. The jury sentenced him to die. His last guaranteed appeal was rejected this year.
His execution was scheduled for the week of Aug. 18.
Prosecutors have said Dunlap should be executed because he had shown no remorse and had bragged about the killings.
Dunlap’s attorneys said that he was remorseful, and they released a video and written statement in which Dunlap apologized.
They also said he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder at the time of the shootings.
www.denverpost.com
Gov. Hickenlooper Delays Nathan Dunlap’s Execution
May 22, 2013 1:52 PM
DENVER (AP) – Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper indefinitely delayed the execution of convicted killer Nathan Dunlap on Wednesday, citing doubts about the death penalty.
Hickenlooper said he was granting Dunlap a reprieve, not clemency. Clemency would have changed Dunlap’s sentence to life without parole.
Under a reprieve, Dunlap could conceivably be executed one day. The reprieve will stay in force until Hickenlooper or another governor lifts it.
Hickenlooper said Colorado’s capital punishment system is flawed, citing a study that showed the death penalty was sought and imposed inconsistently.
He also said the state doesn’t have the drugs in place to carry out an execution by lethal injection, and that many states and nations are repealing the death penalty.
Hickenlooper said he granted a reprieve instead of clemency because he saw the question before him as being about the use of the death penalty, not about Dunlap.
Dunlap was convicted in 1996 of ambushing and killing four employees at a Denver-area Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. The jury sentenced him to die. His last guaranteed appeal was rejected this year.
His execution was scheduled for the week of Aug. 18.
Prosecutors have said Dunlap should be executed because he had shown no remorse and had bragged about the killings.
Dunlap’s attorneys said that he was remorseful, and they released a video and written statement in which Dunlap apologized.
They also said he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder at the time of the shootings.
www.denverpost.com
on: May 22, 2013, 12:54:34 PM 12 General Death Penalty / Upcoming/In Progress Death Penalty Trials / Re: Woman charged in boyfriend's death goes to trial
May 22, 2013 3:12 PM
Jodi Arias Trial: Jury says they can't decide sentence, judge says don't give up
(CBS/AP) -- After launching deliberations Tuesday afternoon, a jury weighing whether or not Jodi Arias will be sentenced to death has announced they are unable to reach a unanimous decision.
After briefly entering the courtroom just before noon on Wednesday, a judge ordered them to continue deliberating.
The judge encouraged them to "write down issues, questions, laws or facts on which we can possibly help."
"I am merely trying to be responsive to your apparent need for help," the judge said. I do not wish to force a verdict."
Arias, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder by the same jury in the 2008 killing of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Travis Alexander.
Under Arizona law, if the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision on sentencing, the panel will be dismissed and jury selection would begin anew, to seat another panel to hear arguments only regarding Arias' sentence. If a second panel were unable reach a unanimous agreement, the judge would sentence Arias to life in prison, with or without the possibility of release after 25 years.
Arias said publicly after her conviction that she would rather die than spend the rest of her life in prison. But appealing to the jury Tuesday, she reversed her request, asking for life in prison for the sake of her family.
"Either way, I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison, whether it will be shortened or not," Arias said. "If it's shortened, the people who will hurt the most are my family. I'm asking you please, don't do that to them."
Arias said she didn't intend to cause pain to the Alexander family and called Travis Alexander's death "the worst mistake of my life."
Prosecutor Juan Martinez countered the defense's plea for life in prison, arguing that death, though a difficult choice, was the only appropriate sentence.
www.cbsnews.com
Jodi Arias Trial: Jury says they can't decide sentence, judge says don't give up
(CBS/AP) -- After launching deliberations Tuesday afternoon, a jury weighing whether or not Jodi Arias will be sentenced to death has announced they are unable to reach a unanimous decision.
After briefly entering the courtroom just before noon on Wednesday, a judge ordered them to continue deliberating.
The judge encouraged them to "write down issues, questions, laws or facts on which we can possibly help."
"I am merely trying to be responsive to your apparent need for help," the judge said. I do not wish to force a verdict."
Arias, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder by the same jury in the 2008 killing of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Travis Alexander.
Under Arizona law, if the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision on sentencing, the panel will be dismissed and jury selection would begin anew, to seat another panel to hear arguments only regarding Arias' sentence. If a second panel were unable reach a unanimous agreement, the judge would sentence Arias to life in prison, with or without the possibility of release after 25 years.
Arias said publicly after her conviction that she would rather die than spend the rest of her life in prison. But appealing to the jury Tuesday, she reversed her request, asking for life in prison for the sake of her family.
"Either way, I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison, whether it will be shortened or not," Arias said. "If it's shortened, the people who will hurt the most are my family. I'm asking you please, don't do that to them."
Arias said she didn't intend to cause pain to the Alexander family and called Travis Alexander's death "the worst mistake of my life."
Prosecutor Juan Martinez countered the defense's plea for life in prison, arguing that death, though a difficult choice, was the only appropriate sentence.
www.cbsnews.com
on: May 22, 2013, 10:21:14 AM 13 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13
Dunlap execution decision could come soon
11:24 PM, May 21, 2013
Robert Garrison
DENVER - 9Wants to Know investigators have confirmed Governor Hickenlooper could announce Wednesday his decision on whether to stop the execution of Nathan Dunlap.
Dunlap is on death row for the 1993 murders of four people at an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.
9Wants to Know has learned the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office has requested a permit for an event at the Capitol set for 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday.
It appears the DA's office may be preparing to appear on the steps of the Capitol along with victims' families if Hickenlooper makes an announcement.
A judge has scheduled Dunlap's execution for the week of August 18.
www.9news.com
11:24 PM, May 21, 2013
Robert Garrison
DENVER - 9Wants to Know investigators have confirmed Governor Hickenlooper could announce Wednesday his decision on whether to stop the execution of Nathan Dunlap.
Dunlap is on death row for the 1993 murders of four people at an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.
9Wants to Know has learned the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office has requested a permit for an event at the Capitol set for 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday.
It appears the DA's office may be preparing to appear on the steps of the Capitol along with victims' families if Hickenlooper makes an announcement.
A judge has scheduled Dunlap's execution for the week of August 18.
www.9news.com
on: May 22, 2013, 10:13:56 AM 14 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: Nathan Dunlop - CO- 8/18 - 8/24/13
ACLU sues for information about the execution plans for Nathan Dunlap
Posted: 05/21/2013
AURORA, Colo. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado wants to force the Department of Corrections to reveal exactly how they plan to put Nathan Dunlap to death in August.
Dunlap was a 19-year-old former Chuck E. Cheese employee when he walked into the restaurant in Aurora in 1993 at closing time and shot five people in the head and then stole $1,500 from a safe.
Three teenagers and a mother of two died. One person survived the shooting.
Dunlap had recently been fired from the restaurant.
A judge has decided the execution for Dunlap will take place during the week of Aug. 18 to Aug. 24. The DOC is responsible for selecting the exact date and time.
The ACLU says they've filed suit to force the state to reveal the exact drugs and methods planned for the execution, as well as the pharmacies that may provide the lethal injection drugs. They argue that the information will "facilitate public discussion about the use of the death penalty" and the ethical issues facing everyone involved.
Colorado's lethal injection law calls for a single drug, but the ACLU says they are concerned that a DOC request for several drugs could indicate they plan to use a three-drug method instead. The ACLU says a three-drug approach came under scrutiny in California, where a judge found it caused pain, which goes against the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The organization also argues that the Colorado Board of Pharmacy Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit "any practice which detrimentally affects the patient."
The ACLU argues that the public deserves to know which pharmacies plan to participate in the execution.
www.thedenverchannel.com
The friggin' ACLU needs to get a life!
Posted: 05/21/2013
AURORA, Colo. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado wants to force the Department of Corrections to reveal exactly how they plan to put Nathan Dunlap to death in August.
Dunlap was a 19-year-old former Chuck E. Cheese employee when he walked into the restaurant in Aurora in 1993 at closing time and shot five people in the head and then stole $1,500 from a safe.
Three teenagers and a mother of two died. One person survived the shooting.
Dunlap had recently been fired from the restaurant.
A judge has decided the execution for Dunlap will take place during the week of Aug. 18 to Aug. 24. The DOC is responsible for selecting the exact date and time.
The ACLU says they've filed suit to force the state to reveal the exact drugs and methods planned for the execution, as well as the pharmacies that may provide the lethal injection drugs. They argue that the information will "facilitate public discussion about the use of the death penalty" and the ethical issues facing everyone involved.
Colorado's lethal injection law calls for a single drug, but the ACLU says they are concerned that a DOC request for several drugs could indicate they plan to use a three-drug method instead. The ACLU says a three-drug approach came under scrutiny in California, where a judge found it caused pain, which goes against the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The organization also argues that the Colorado Board of Pharmacy Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit "any practice which detrimentally affects the patient."
The ACLU argues that the public deserves to know which pharmacies plan to participate in the execution.
www.thedenverchannel.com
The friggin' ACLU needs to get a life!
on: May 21, 2013, 02:04:44 PM 15 General Death Penalty / Stays of Execution / Re: John Errol Ferguson - FL - 10/16/12-- STAYED
Federal court rejects appeal by Miami mass killer John Ferguson
By DAVID OVALLE Tuesday, May 21, 2013
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected an appeal by Miami killer John Errol Ferguson, who was been on Death Row for more than three decades for convictions in eight murders .
Ferguson was originally slated to die by lethal injection in October but was issued a last-minute stay as defense lawyers insisted the schizophrenic’s execution was “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The court’s ruling paves the way for a possible new execution date. Florida Gov. Rick Scott would have to sign a new death warrant.
Ferguson was convicted of the July 1977 murders of six in Carol City during a home-invasion robbery. At the time, it was the worst mass murder in Miami-Dade history.
Ferguson, now 65, also was convicted separately of murdering Belinda Worley, a 17-year-old Hialeah High senior, and Brian Glenfeldt, 17, in January 1978.
He was also convicted of attempted murder in the robbery of another couple at a lover’s lane. He was a suspect, but never charged, with the robbery and killing of an elderly couple at a Miami motel.
Ferguson’s lawyers have said the man believes he is the “Prince of God” and has no understanding of why he is being executed.
In October, a Bradford trial court judge ruled that while Ferguson has a history of schizophrenia, he exists trouble free in prison and “there is no evidence that he does not understand” why he is to be executed.
The judge also noted that while Ferguson claims he is the “Prince of God” and will be seated at the “right-hand” of God after his death, his beliefs are not “significantly different than beliefs other Christians may hold.”
The Florida Supreme Court upheld the judge’s decision. On Monday, the Atlanta-based U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower courts’ rulings.
“That most people would characterize Ferguson’s Prince-of-God belief, in the vernacular, as ‘crazy’ does not mean that someone who holds that belief is not competent to be executed,” according to the federal appeals court’s 65-page opinion.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/21/3408691/federal-court-rejects-appeal-by.html#storylink=cpy
By DAVID OVALLE Tuesday, May 21, 2013
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected an appeal by Miami killer John Errol Ferguson, who was been on Death Row for more than three decades for convictions in eight murders .
Ferguson was originally slated to die by lethal injection in October but was issued a last-minute stay as defense lawyers insisted the schizophrenic’s execution was “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The court’s ruling paves the way for a possible new execution date. Florida Gov. Rick Scott would have to sign a new death warrant.
Ferguson was convicted of the July 1977 murders of six in Carol City during a home-invasion robbery. At the time, it was the worst mass murder in Miami-Dade history.
Ferguson, now 65, also was convicted separately of murdering Belinda Worley, a 17-year-old Hialeah High senior, and Brian Glenfeldt, 17, in January 1978.
He was also convicted of attempted murder in the robbery of another couple at a lover’s lane. He was a suspect, but never charged, with the robbery and killing of an elderly couple at a Miami motel.
Ferguson’s lawyers have said the man believes he is the “Prince of God” and has no understanding of why he is being executed.
In October, a Bradford trial court judge ruled that while Ferguson has a history of schizophrenia, he exists trouble free in prison and “there is no evidence that he does not understand” why he is to be executed.
The judge also noted that while Ferguson claims he is the “Prince of God” and will be seated at the “right-hand” of God after his death, his beliefs are not “significantly different than beliefs other Christians may hold.”
The Florida Supreme Court upheld the judge’s decision. On Monday, the Atlanta-based U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower courts’ rulings.
“That most people would characterize Ferguson’s Prince-of-God belief, in the vernacular, as ‘crazy’ does not mean that someone who holds that belief is not competent to be executed,” according to the federal appeals court’s 65-page opinion.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/21/3408691/federal-court-rejects-appeal-by.html#storylink=cpy
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