Out with a bang and a tweet.
Discussion
Odd that Ronnie Lee Gardner who chose to be executed by firing squad was on 'Death Row' for 25 years. After that long in many other countries he would be considered for early release.
The Telegraph said:
Shortly before Ronnie Lee Gardner was shot through the heart by a five-man firing squad at Utah State Prison, Mark Shurtleff tweeted: "I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner's execution."
He added: "May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims."
Earlier in the day, Mr Shurtleff had struck a somber tone in a tweet about what lay in store for Gardner, who spent 25 years on death row for gunning down a lawyer during a failed court-room escape.
"A solemn day," Mr Shurtleff blogged.
"Barring a stay by Sup Ct & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice."
Gardner, 49, chose to die by firing squad - an option open to him because he was convicted before Utah adopted lethal injection in 2004.
He was strapped to a black metal chair surrounded by sandbags to stop ricochets.
A white target was then pinned over his heart, a hood placed over his head, and five volunteer marksmen armed with .30-caliber rifles opened fire from behind a wall.
Only four of the weapons were loaded with live rounds and one contained a wax bullet, allowing the marksmen to retain some doubt over whether they fired the fatal shot. He was pronounced dead at 12:17 am. The executioners were all certified police officers who remain anonymous. They stood about 25 feet from Gardner.
He added: "May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims."
Earlier in the day, Mr Shurtleff had struck a somber tone in a tweet about what lay in store for Gardner, who spent 25 years on death row for gunning down a lawyer during a failed court-room escape.
"A solemn day," Mr Shurtleff blogged.
"Barring a stay by Sup Ct & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice."
Gardner, 49, chose to die by firing squad - an option open to him because he was convicted before Utah adopted lethal injection in 2004.
He was strapped to a black metal chair surrounded by sandbags to stop ricochets.
A white target was then pinned over his heart, a hood placed over his head, and five volunteer marksmen armed with .30-caliber rifles opened fire from behind a wall.
Only four of the weapons were loaded with live rounds and one contained a wax bullet, allowing the marksmen to retain some doubt over whether they fired the fatal shot. He was pronounced dead at 12:17 am. The executioners were all certified police officers who remain anonymous. They stood about 25 feet from Gardner.
The police officer's who shot him are chosen out of volunteer's apparently, i couldn't volunteer to do that I'm not saying the one's who did volunteer are gun nut cops wanting to have a kill just saying i couldn't do it!.
edit for missing a vital word
edit for missing a vital word
Edited by ZOLLAR on Friday 18th June 12:08
patmahe said:
Christ that chair is terrifying, I cannot imagine what it must be like to walk up to it knowing what is about to happen.
I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, I don't know the specifics of his case, its just a horrible barbaric way to go.
I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, I don't know the specifics of his case, its just a horrible barbaric way to go.
Reminds me of Kilmainham. The thoughts of the executions, particularly Connolly as he sat, is terrible.
markh1 said:
Why do people spend so long on death row? If they are sentenced to be executed why is it not done immediately? Why the 25 year wait?
Im not totatly sure why 25 years, but i am pretty sure that when some one in th US is sentenced to death there is an automatic appeal which has to take place i presume that takes time too.BBC said:
The marksmen, along with members of staff who contributed to the planning of the execution, will be given a commemorative Gardner coin.
It was Mr DeLand who introduced the tradition of handing out commemorative badges for "service beyond their ordinary daily duties". Apparently, this time, staff preferred something "a bit more modern".
It was Mr DeLand who introduced the tradition of handing out commemorative badges for "service beyond their ordinary daily duties". Apparently, this time, staff preferred something "a bit more modern".
Not sure i'd want to commerate havin done that but they have done something they are not expected to do so fair enough.
BBC said:
"We don't know why Gardner chose this method but one prisoner who had chosen the firing squad basically said if he was going to die, he wanted someone to have to clean up the mess."
Sounds like a nice guy...mrmr96 said:
markh1 said:
Why do people spend so long on death row? If they are sentenced to be executed why is it not done immediately? Why the 25 year wait?
Appeal followed by appeal followed by appeal I expect.
patmahe said:
Christ that chair is terrifying, I cannot imagine what it must be like to walk up to it knowing what is about to happen.
Well, he's had plenty of time to think about what he did. And he deserved no less. He had 25 years of life to consider things, and I could be wrong but I thought some of his victims were younger than 25, so he had more time on death row than they had alive at all.Imagine being a Jew in WWII and being walked to an open grave where the previous victims were laying, still warm...
patmahe said:
Christ that chair is terrifying, I cannot imagine what it must be like to walk up to it knowing what is about to happen.
I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, I don't know the specifics of his case, its just a horrible barbaric way to go.
Better than the alternatives, which involve the same horrible chairs but with much slower ways of dying. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, I don't know the specifics of his case, its just a horrible barbaric way to go.
ZOLLAR said:
The police officer's who shot him are chosen out of volunteer's apparently, i couldn't volunteer to do that I'm not saying the one's who did volunteer are gun nut cops wanting to have a kill just saying i couldn't do it!.
edit for missing a vital word
But not edited for the 3 unrequired apostrophes, eh!edit for missing a vital word
Edited by ZOLLAR on Friday 18th June 12:08
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