A Death Penalty documentary currently in production will focus on the penalty's appropriateness for an absolutely guilty multiple-murderer. New York School of Law Professor Robert Blecker is the subject of the documentary. According to this story by Clint Confehr in Tennessee's Times Gazette, the program features yesterday's execution of Daryl Holton, who was convicted of four counts of premeditated first degree murder for killing his four children in 1997. All four children, twelve-year-old Stephen Edward Holton, ten-year-old Brent Holton, six-year-old Eric Holton, and four-year-old Kayla Marie Holton, were shot to death with a Russian SKS semi-automatic assault rifle. A USA Today story on the execution by reporter Sheila Burke is here. Prior to the killings, Holton had been engaged in an ongoing fight with his ex-wife over custody of the children. He confessed to the murders and did not agree with defense efforts to spare him from the death penalty. The producers plan to air the documentary on cable.

Murders In San Francisco may reach a new high this year and city leaders are hoping that a gadget called the shotspotter will help police catch the killers according to this San Francisco Chronicle story by Cecilia M. Vega. The device uses global positioning to transmit the location of a gunshot to the police within 15 seconds. San Francisco has had 81 homicides so far this year and may exceed 2005's 96 homicides, which was the highest in a decade. The murderers who do get caught with the help of the shotspotter can take comfort in the fact that so long as Kamala Harris is District Attorney, they will not face a death sentence.