US executes 2nd man in a week; lawyers said he had dementia

[turbinetree]

Source: Associated Press

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and JESSICA GRESKO
5 minutes ago



https://apnews.com/2b06e7abdb84118a1977ba5c084c6516/gallery/3b0bd3d15b124e649e3aee4e44a34d45


Wesley Ira Purkey was put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Purkey was convicted of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl, Jennifer Long, before dismembering, burning and dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in Kansas after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who had polio.

Purkey was strapped to a gurney inside the execution chamber. A prison official removed a mask from Purkey’s face and asked him if he wanted to make a final statement.

He leaned his head up slightly from the gurney and said: “I deeply regret the pain and suffering I caused to Jennifer’s family. I am deeply sorry.”

He also expressed remorse for his own adult daughter’s suffering his actions caused. “I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much,” he said.


Read more: https://apnews.com/2b06e7abdb84118a1977ba5c084c6516

[George II]

1. Barbaric. Ever notice that those in favor of the death penalty are also "pro-life"?

[turbinetree]

2. That is what is amazing, they run around wanting to save lives but are gleeful when someone is

put to death.................

[MosheFeingold]

6. That's actually innacurate

The Roman Catholic Church is pro-life and anti-death penalty, for example.

The Orthodox Jewish position is (generally) pro-life and (generally) anti-death penalty, too.

[Polybius]

11. I asked a guy that once who was pro-life and pro-death penalty

His answer was something like "Well you're the opposite, you're pro-choice and anti-death penalty. At least I only want to put down murderers."

That was many years ago, I've since changed my views on the death penalty a bit.

[RVN VET71]

13. His response was illogical and evaded the point

but that's the way so many people are. It's called deflection and it is the first skill Republican puppy-politicians learn when they begin their mendacious careers. "If I'm so bad, what about you?"

Regarding the death penalty, I oppose it. As vile a creature as Mr. Purkey clearly was, I would much rather live in a country that sentences murderers like him to life imprisonment w/o parole if it means no innocent person will die at the hands of the state.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Death penalty has no deterrent effect and cost tax payers tons of

money so it would be cheaper to give life without parole.

[Yeehah]

9. I oppose capital punishment because I don't believe any govt. should have that much power

Look at our governments (state and federal) right now --- full of corrupt imbeciles. Should these governments have the power of life and death?

[George II]

18. That's exactly right - it has no deterrent effect. I can't imagine someone about to murder....

....another person and then stop, thinking he might get the death penalty.

Back in the 1960s my father traveled up to Albany a number of times to give speeches or testify at committee hearings against the death penalty. The thing he pointed out the most is the statistics regarding the lack of deterrent.

In 1967 the Legislature passed a law significantly limiting the use of the death penalty. It wasn't everything, but was a significant victory.

The last time I saw him the Legislature was considering reinstating the death penalty (Petaki was governor at the time), and while I was there his State Representative called to ask how he should approach the debate.

[oldsoftie]

4. The first paragraph is all I needed to read. Good riddance. Just 15 years too long.

Cases like those are what the DP is for. Unpopular on DU maybe, but we all have opinions.

Change the law where no DA can charge the DP unless there is NO DOUBT of guilt. There are plenty of cases like that to be found. Then there's no chance of executing an innocent person.

[Dial H For Hero]

7. Agreed.

[Steelrolled]

16. I have to agree also

In my view, there are boundaries in our society. There are cases where the DP is the best remedy for our society, and most humane for the executed (in my humble opinion).

[Raine]

22. Definitely agree. nt

[OriginalGeek]

27. Nope

It's always wrong for the state to murder a person they already have in captivity.

It's cheaper to keep them.

We could even learn something from them.

Death penalty is revenge and revenge is useless to society.

There is no such thing as "no doubt" because even if you watched the person kill someone you don't know what was actually in their head.

AND THAT is what we need to learn. I oppose the death penalty in every case. The state does not need to murder people. The state can study them and perhaps we can learn things that will help future generations.

[B Stieg]

5. I smell William Barr...

That is suplhur isn't it?

[SCantiGOP]

8. The death penalty will always be

Racist, arbitrary and ineffective.
It amazes me whenever I see support for it here at DU.

[Yeehah]

10. Humans are full of animalistic blood lust

We are the most vicious of the primates.

[Polybius]

12. It wasn't racist this time

Killer was white.

[oldsoftie]

15. So was the previous one executed. Most are.

[SCantiGOP]

20. The Death Penalty in the United States is racist

It always has been and will continue to be until there is no disparity in how the police, courts and juries treat people of different races and income levels.
Picking out one case has no bearing on the larger picture.

[Devil Child]

28. Don't have to pick out this case as there are 850 others to choose from

White Americans make up 55.9% of executions since 1976.

[Raine]

23. BOTH of the two executed this week were white and

the first one executed this weeek was a white nationalist who wanted a race war.

[SCantiGOP]

26. Everybody knows that

I said, and there is overwhelming proof, that the death penalty in America has been and will continue to be administered in a manner that discriminates against minorities and the poor.
Who you are, who you have for a lawyer, and where you live are much bigger factors in determining whether you receive the death penalty than what crime you commit.

[LeftInTX]

14. I know he had dementia, but don't believe he had it when he committed his crimes in 2003

At issue, would be if he was able to participate in his own appeal and to what extent he was able to participate and when was he no longer able to participate.

[SharonClark]

17. Did he have dementia when he committed the

crimes for which he was convicted ?

If not, then it’s irrelevant and should not be in the headline because it’s misleading.

[Jose Garcia]

19. Strange that he was lucid despite his dementia when he knew it was time to meet his maker

Must have been a miracle.

[oldsoftie]

25. When all else fails, attys always go to the "mentally deficient" card.

How often do we see appeals based solely on "he has the IQ of 67"; yet at the time of the crime there was never any questions about competency?

[Jack-o-Lantern]

21. Thoughts & prayers.

[ucrdem]

24. Pretty weird.

Raging pandemic and suddenly we're killing humans again. "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson comes to mind. That's the one that ends with, well, in case you haven't read it, here it is:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery