Utah firing squad executes convicted killer

[TITANIUM]

I believe in Capitol Punishment. I believe it is a great deterrent in crime as a whole. Glad to be back guys..........

Best

T







Utah firing squad executes convicted killer
.
By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press Writer – 44 mins ago
DRAPER, Utah – A death row inmate who had used a gun to fatally shoot two men suffered the same fate Friday morning as he was executed by a team of marksmen — the first time Utah used the firing squad to carry out a death sentence in 14 years.

A barrage of bullets tore into Ronnie Lee's Gardner's chest where a target was pinned over his heart. Two minutes later an ashen Gardner, blood pooling in his dark blue jumpsuit, was pronounced dead at 12:17 a.m.

He was the third man to die by firing squad since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976.

Unlike Gary Gilmore, who famously uttered the last words "Let's do it" on Jan. 17, 1977, Gardner could muster few words before a a black hood was fastened over his head. Asked if he had anything to say during the two minutes afforded him, Gardner said simply "I do not, no."

The five executioners, certified police officers who volunteered for the task and remain anonymous, stood about 25 feet away, behind a wall cut with a gunport, and were armed with matching .30-caliber Winchester rifles. One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot. Sandbags stacked behind Gardner's chair kept the bullets from ricocheting around the cinderblock room.

Utah Department of Corrections Director Thomas Patterson said the countdown cadence went "5-4-3..." with the shooters starting to fire at the count of 2.

Gardner's arm tensed and jerked back when he was hit. As the medical examiner checked for vital signs the hood was pulled back, revealing that Gardner's head was tilted back and to the right, his mouth slightly open.

"I don't agree with what he done or what they done but I'm relieved he's free," said Gardner's brother, Randy Gardner, after the execution. "He's had a rough life. He's been incarcerated and in chains his whole damn life, now he's free. I'm happy he's free, just sad the way he went."

The execution was witnessed by media representatives who are separated from witnesses for the victims or the condemned in rooms on opposite ends of the execution chamber behind reflective glass so they can't be seen.

Gardner walked willingly to his execution, a stark contrast to the fatal escape attempt he undertook 25 years ago that resulted in his death sentence.

Gardner was sentenced to death after being convicted of murder in 1985 for the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during a failed escape attempt. Gardner was at the Salt Lake City court facing a 1984 murder charge in the shooting death of a bartender, Melvyn Otterstrom when he took a gun smuggled into him and he shot Burdell in the face as the attorney hid behind a door in the chaotic courthouse.

The execution process was set in motion in March when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Gardner's attorney to review the case. On April 23, state court Judge Robin Reese signed a warrant ordering the state to carry out the death sentence.

At that hearing, Gardner politely declared, "I would like the firing squad, please."

He told his lawyer he did it because he preferred to die that way. Gardner was allowed to choose between the firing squad and lethal injection because he was sentenced to death before Utah eliminated the firing squad as an option in 2004. State officials did not like the negative publicity fire squad executions generated.

Gardner, 49, chose his manner of death and then worked furiously with his lawyers to prevent it. They filed petitions with state and federal courts, asked a Utah parole board to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole, and finally unsuccessfully appealed to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gardner's attorneys argued the jury that sentenced him to death in 1985 heard no mitigating evidence that might have led them to instead impose a life sentence. Gardner's life was marked by early drug addiction, physical and sexual abuse and possible brain damage, court records show.

They also argued he could not get a "fair and impartial hearing" before Utah's Board of Pardons and Parole because lawyers that represent the board work for the Utah attorney general's office, which sought his death warrant and argued against the board commuting Gardner's death sentence

The firing squad has been Utah's most-used form of capital punishment. Of the 49 executions held in the state since the 1850s, 40 were by firing squad.

John Albert Taylor, who raped and strangled an 11-year-old girl, was the last person executed by firing squad on Jan. 26, 1996.

Historians say the method stems from 19th Century doctrine of the state's predominant religion. Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believed in the concept of "blood atonement" — that only through spilling one's own blood could a condemned person adequately atone for their crimes and be redeemed in the next life. The church no longer preaches such teachings and offers no opinion on the use of the firing squad. Gardner, who once described himself as a "nasty little bugger" with a mean streak, spent his last day sleeping, reading the novel "Divine Justice," watching the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy and meeting with his attorneys and a bishop with the Mormon church. A prison spokesman said officers described his mood as relaxed. He had eaten his last requested meal — steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP — two days earlier.

Members of his family gathered outside the prison, some wearing T-shirts displaying his prisoner number, 14873. None witnessed the execution, at Gardner's request.

"He didn't want nobody to see him get shot," Randy Gardner said. "I would have liked to be there for him. I love him to death. He's my little brother."

The American Civil Liberties Union decried Gardner's execution as an example of what it called the United States' "barbaric, arbitrary and bankrupting practice of capital punishment." And religious leaders called for an end to the death penalty at an interfaith vigil in Salt Lake City on Thursday evening.

"Murdering the murderer doesn't create justice or settle any score," said Rev. Tom Goldsmith of the First Unitarian Church.

Burdell's family opposes the death penalty and asked for Gardner's life to be spared.

But Otterstrom's family lobbied the parole board against Gardner's request for clemency and a reduced sentence.

George "Nick" Kirk, was a bailiff at the courthouse the day of Gardner's botched escape. Shot and wounded in the lower abdomen, Kirk suffered chronic health problems the rest of his life.

Kirk's daughter, Tami Stewart, said before the execution she believed Gardner's death would bring her family some closure.

"I think at that moment, he will feel that fear that his victims felt," she said.

[ghettoboyd]

i was wondering where you went....welcome back....and as for capital punishment i believe in eye for and eye....killers should get what they deserve...

[serratus]

u have these execution video?

[Matt]

Yeah killing someone is a great way to show how wrong it is to kill.......

[Matt]

Btw, i take it each death row in the US jails are empty, i mean if what you say is right then the death penalty puts everyone off from committing murder...

[TITANIUM]

Btw, i take it each death row in the US jails are empty, i mean if what you say is right then the death penalty puts everyone off from committing murder...

Glad to see you also guys, just alot of life issues happening at the same time.



You will always have murder, as this seems to be some inherent thing in mans destiny. There will always be war, this is unfortunate,

I was in court once and witnessed a surreal thing 007. This mother and farther were sitting in the front benches listening to the court proceedings.

The man raped and murdered their 16 year old daughter. It was horrible to bare witness to.

The guy got off on some technicality, and the court went silent then the father ran towards the man and would have killed him if the bailiffs did not pull him off that man.

So, I have a 16 1/2 year old daughter, and for the life of me could not imagine the pain that couple was going through.

So, yes I do believe in the death penalty, but I do take note and understand your position.

Killing someone does not essentially mean it's the right thing per say, but it needs to be carried out all the same.

I wish we all lived in a world where this sort of thing does not happen, but in reality, it does.

I always try to see things objectively, as there is always two sides of a coin.

It is in humane in one sense, but absolutely warranted in another.

Glad to be back guys, missed you all....

Best

T

[toothache]

I have no problems with the death penalty, however, I do think death is too good for some people and they should rot in prison. The death penalty is not a deterrent at all. The death penalty is a punishment not a deterrent. Most murders are not premeditated they are an impulsive act. Also, people who are willing to commit a murder are not 'worried' about the death penalty. I'm sure they don't even consider getting caught.

[MaNiCC]

Good to see you back T


I agree and disagree with capital punishment, i agree that it is a good deterrent. but imo a firing squad makes the firing squad murderers. there are more humane ways of taking a life.

[Matt]

Glad to see you also guys, just alot of life issues happening at the same time.



You will always have murder, as this seems to be some inherent thing in mans destiny. There will always be war, this is unfortunate,

I was in court once and witnessed a surreal thing 007. This mother and farther were sitting in the front benches listening to the court proceedings.

The man raped and murdered their 16 year old daughter. It was horrible to bare witness to.

The guy got off on some technicality, and the court went silent then the father ran towards the man and would have killed him if the bailiffs did not pull him off that man.

So, I have a 16 1/2 year old daughter, and for the life of me could not imagine the pain that couple was going through.

So, yes I do believe in the death penalty, but I do take note and understand your position.

Killing someone does not essentially mean it's the right thing per say, but it needs to be carried out all the same.

I wish we all lived in a world where this sort of thing does not happen, but in reality, it does.

I always try to see things objectively, as there is always two sides of a coin.

It is in humane in one sense, but absolutely warranted in another.

Glad to be back guys, missed you all....

Best

T

Ok then lets stop these crimes happening in the first place..

Many studies show that these people committing the most hideous crimes were in some way themselves abused as children, that's a fact. This maybe be mental, physical, sexual or a combination of all three...

So why not just execute these kids once its been established they themselves have been abused???

How about this, if a man rapes and murders a young 16 year old girl or boy, is this normal?? Is it fvck, it doesn't take a rocket scientist or doctor to tell me that this is not normal human behaviour.. This then means that there must surly be something mentally wrong with said person.. Are we then saying its ok to execute mentally ill people???

Theres also the question of innocence, here in Britain many men have spent 15/20 years in jail for murdering children only to later be released because they were eventually found to be innocent....

[Matt]

Heres one case in mind, this guy would have been executed if we had the death penalty...

An example of this is a man called Stephan Kiszko. In 1975 he was arrested and later convicted of the murder of the 11 year old Lesley Molseed. She was snatched close to home, taken to the moors stabbed many times. The killer then masturbated over her before leaving her to die, what a horrific way for an 11 year old to die.

Kiszko was convicted for a number of reasons, first it was said his sperm matched that found on Lesley's body. The police said they found pornographic material in his car, and worst of all he confessed to her murder, case closed?

Kiszko spent many years in prison, he was mentally tortured and beaten often. However we now know the facts.

Kiszko suffered from hypogonadism, which ment he couldnt produce sperm. Pornographic materials were never found. So why did he confess? Kiszco was slow minded (his mental state was in question long before 1975) He spent three days being questioned by police, so simply gave in. Later he went on to say, i told lies because it seemed to please the police. Because the police were under pressure they just decided to pick Kiszco out, he was an easy target. The police lied and hid evidence to help gain the conviction of Kiszco.

This is just one case of many, so again i ask how many innocent people would have to suffer??

Do we think that murdering or torturing these people will help prevent the next crime? Albert Pierrepoint didnt think so and he hung more men and women than any other executioner in the UK. He said it was a complete waste of life and we learnt nothing.

[wantmoremass]

i am against the death penalty for no other reason than the fact that our legal system is imperfect, and if it's possible to execute 1 person wrongly convicted, it's not a justifiable means of punishment. there was a case here where a man was in jail for 25 years for a murder, which by dna evidence it was finally proved he did not commit. he and his family continually professed his innocence, and eventually they were proved right. if we had the death penalty, he probably would have been executed and innocent.

incarceration is the only way to completely eliminate the possibility of wrongful execution. deterrence has not been proven to be effective in preventing murder. retribution for the victim's family is probably not best served by incarceration, but at least no one innocent will be executed.

[TITANIUM]

I agree the system is flawed, to say the least. but it's what we have at the moment.

Yes, innocent people do die in a death penalty situation. This is why death row exists.

Basically, lawyers try to sort out the findings and usually the Governor can grant a "stay" of execution.

This is why the death row usually takes so long to happen.

I think that sending 50,000 men to a meat grinder in Vietnam was impending doom.

But it did happen.

Death camps, it happened.

Our whole existence seems to be built on a blanket of blood, someone fought someone else to ascertain what they wanted.

It's our history, and it seems to be in our nature to do such things.

I'm not a psychiatrist, nor study such behavior, but it seems that it will continue until we are at the end.

I respect everyone's views here. I'm open minded about it all.

What I have witnessed in the middle east was not what I would call justifiable by any means.

I think that shooting this guy was going to far, as it has been pointed out.

I do agree.

There are alot of innocent people locked up in the penal system.

But there are more guilty people walking around on the streets.

There are people that do pre meditate what they do.

I guess it's the parameters of what is determined to me mentally insane or not.

Then who sets those parameters?

Gets one to think now doesn't it.......

Best

T

PS-I went on a tangent here for a moment,and did not stay on point, excuse me.

[thegodfather]

No one who believes in liberty, can endorse state sanctioned murder. I usually have long winded responses, but this will suffice.

[peachfuzz]

No one who believes in liberty, can endorse state sanctioned murder. I usually have long winded responses, but this will suffice.

below is the definition of liberty

1 : the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges

now I cannot think of one good reason why a rapist or murderer should be granted liberty nor do I believe many victims of rape have the pleasure of liberty.

there are two sides to every coin and to be honest there are valid arguments for both sides. we live in an imperfect society.

[peachfuzz]

I guess I shouldnt say I cannot think of one good reason. but you get my point.

[TITANIUM]

No one who believes in liberty, can endorse state sanctioned murder. I usually have long winded responses, but this will suffice.

I believe in liberty, as I have fought to protect it.

Usually we agree with each other, but I do understand why you disapprove of it.

Sometimes doing the right thing is the wrong thing.

Let me explain.

Sometimes there is no "right" answer, but rather two wrong answers.

Then you need to decide which "wrong" is the righter of the two.

Sort of a paradox.

Best

T

[TITANIUM]

below is the definition of liberty

1 : the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges

now I cannot think of one good reason why a rapist or murderer should be granted liberty nor do I believe many victims of rape have the pleasure of liberty.

there are two sides to every coin and to be honest there are valid arguments for both sides. we live in an imperfect society.

Well Said.

Best

T

[BJJ]

OP, you start from the assumption that a man can judge another man.
I do not think that to be possible.

[TITANIUM]

OP, you start from the assumption that a man can judge another man.
I do not think that to be possible.

I think that under certain circumstances, he can be judged by a jury of his peers.

I am not going into a religion take on this , as only "GOD" may have such authority.

Like it was pointed out, that we live in a flawed system.

I do know that if someone raped and murdered my daughter or son, I would kill them.

And sleep fine with that decision.

It is a double edged sword, so to speak.

But it is the system we have at the present time.

Best

T

[BJJ]

I think that under certain circumstances, he can be judged by a jury of his peers. but still a jury of peers can make mistakes by judging

I am not going into a religion take on this , as only "GOD" may have such authority. neither I was meaning to go into religion

Like it was pointed out, that we live in a flawed system. it was, it is, it will be like that...
the human being himself is the problem

I do know that if someone raped and murdered my daughter or son, I would kill them. agreed

And sleep fine with that decision. I am not sure about that

It is a double edged sword, so to speak.

But it is the system we have at the present time.

Best

T

bold

[TITANIUM]

1). Yes jury's do make mistakes on the evidence presented to them.

2).As far as religion, I was just trying to make a point that I recognize it.

3).Yes, human beings are just not part of the equation, they are the whole equation.

4).Yes, we agree on killing when the right circumstances are presented on a personal level, like our family's and children.

5).The war doesn't keep me awake at night, thank god, so I do know I would just sleep fine in killing someone who kills someone that is a family member or someone I do care about.


By the way, I only fought and did what I did in the name of a war that I did not agree with 100% because I was ordered to.I am a lucky individual that I can draw a line between killing in the name of your country and killing someone on a personal level.Although I believe that killing is wrong most of the time.Under the right circumstances, it is your life or theirs. I am sorry that this thread may be upsetting to some members, but that is one of the reasons we are in this part of the forum.


Best

T

PS- I respect you BJJ, as you are one of the more socially mature individuals here and you have morals and ethics. Also obviously an intelligent person. It is refreshing.

[BJJ]

1). Yes jury's do make mistakes on the evidence presented to them.

2).As far as religion, I was just trying to make a point that I recognize it.

3).Yes, human beings are just not part of the equation, they are the whole equation.

4).Yes, we agree on killing when the right circumstances are presented on a personal level, like our family's and children.

5).The war doesn't keep me awake at night, thank god, so I do know I would just sleep fine in killing someone who kills someone that is a family member or someone I do care about.


By the way, I only fought and did what I did in the name of a war that I did not agree with 100% because I was ordered to.I am a lucky individual that I can draw a line between killing in the name of your country and killing someone on a personal level.Although I believe that killing is wrong most of the time.Under the right circumstances, it is your life or theirs. I am sorry that this thread may be upsetting to some members, but that is one of the reasons we are in this part of the forum.


Best

T

PS- I respect you BJJ, as you are one of the more socially mature individuals here and you have morals and ethics. Also obviously an intelligent person. It is refreshing.

Thank you for your kind words, the respect is reciprocal.
Also, if there were not people like you on this place, I never would have kept signing in almost every day.
This forum is worth because some people, and you are one of them, make it worth.

Regarding the topic, I have the feeling that we are what our past made of us, our experiences either positive or negative.
So, this is the reason why, I believe, we can have such a different point of view on a topic.

[TITANIUM]

Thank you for your kind words, the respect is reciprocal.
Also, if there were not people like you on this place, I never would have kept signing in almost every day.
This forum is worth because some people, and you are one of them, make it worth.

Regarding the topic, I have the feeling that we are what our past made of us, our experiences either positive or negative.
So, this is the reason why, I believe, we can have such a different point of view on a topic.

Agreed.

Thank you. The respect is mutual.

Best

T

[Td00]

Even though i don't agree with capital punishment because we're humans, and we make mistakes, and the fact that there's a chance we might execute and innocent person makes me scared.

Now, if i did something so bad and got capital punishment, i'd pick firing squad too lol.

1- I'd like to die outside, not inside a building with roof.
2- Lethal injection and gas chamber are so like industrialized, quiet and cold.
3- Hanging is awful, i certainly don't want that.
4- I'd want my death to be loud. BOOM!
6- Dieing from a bullet is cooler than in a rope, lethal injection or gas chamber like some animal. Electric chair is scary.

[ProEvoDanny]

Theres no accuse for killing a human being..

[ALTOP]

Sometimes it is better to just let these guys sit in jail and rot. Other times there is not better answer than killing them. I guess you could say, Situation Dictates.