Stay Denied for Georgia Murderer: A story in today's Columbus Ledger-Enquirer by Tim Chitwood reports that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has declined to stay the execution of Carlton Gary, the infamous Stocking Strangler. Gary was convicted in 1986 for the rape and strangulation killing of three elderly Columbus women. A WTVM story noted that the victims were raped, then strangled with their own stockings. The murders occurred over an eight month period. Their deaths were 3 of 7
slayings that terrified Columbus between
1977 and 1978. After a gun stolen from one of the victim's homes was linked to Gary, he admitted to burglarizing or being present at eight of the nine crime scenes where seven murders, and two attempted murders, occurred. Gary's attorneys have sought a stay of his execution, which is set for tonight, so that DNA evidence from the four other murder scenes could be tested. UPDATE: An AP story here reports that the Georgia Supreme Court voted 5-2 yesterday to stay Gary's execution and order a hearing on his DNA claim.
Killer Pleads Guilty, Still Gets Death Sentence: Christy Gutowski, a writer for Chicago's Daily Herald, reports that an attempt by habitual murderer Brian Dugan to avoid the death penalty - by pleading guilty to a 1983 murder - didn't pan out. A story by Chicago Tribune reporter Art Barnum noted that after days of deliberation during Dugan's sentencing hearing last month, two members of the jury refused to vote for a death sentence which, in Illinois, automatically defaults to LWOP. But before the signed verdict form was delivered to the judge, the two holdouts asked for deliberations to resume. The next day the jury unanimously recommended the death sentence. Today, the judge denied Dugan's appeal of that verdict. "Brian Dugan is simply entitled to a life sentence," according to his defense attorney. Really? But he already has some of those. Dugan has been serving life sentences for a series of sexual assaults on women who survived and the murder of two others - 27 year-old Donna Schnorr and a 7-year-old Missy Ackerman.
AG to Make Death Penalty an Issue: Whittier Daily News writer Rebecca Kimitch reports that state Senator Tom Harman, the only Republican currently running for California AG, will make the death penalty a campaign issue if San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, a death penalty opponent, becomes the Democratic nominee. Noting that a majority of Californians support capital punishment, Harman said that "The race could become a referendum on the death penalty." Harris' campaign manager disagreed, saying that reducing violent crime, solving the prison crisis and tackling financial crimes are uppermost on voters' minds. But District Attorney Harris' policies have not been very effective with regard to violent crime. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, of the nation's 20 largest cities, San Francisco has the ninth highest violent crime rate, much higher than the larger cities of New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. Murders in SF have been on the increase for five years and the 99 homicides in 2008, were the most since 1995.
Killer Pleads Guilty, Still Gets Death Sentence: Christy Gutowski, a writer for Chicago's Daily Herald, reports that an attempt by habitual murderer Brian Dugan to avoid the death penalty - by pleading guilty to a 1983 murder - didn't pan out. A story by Chicago Tribune reporter Art Barnum noted that after days of deliberation during Dugan's sentencing hearing last month, two members of the jury refused to vote for a death sentence which, in Illinois, automatically defaults to LWOP. But before the signed verdict form was delivered to the judge, the two holdouts asked for deliberations to resume. The next day the jury unanimously recommended the death sentence. Today, the judge denied Dugan's appeal of that verdict. "Brian Dugan is simply entitled to a life sentence," according to his defense attorney. Really? But he already has some of those. Dugan has been serving life sentences for a series of sexual assaults on women who survived and the murder of two others - 27 year-old Donna Schnorr and a 7-year-old Missy Ackerman.
AG to Make Death Penalty an Issue: Whittier Daily News writer Rebecca Kimitch reports that state Senator Tom Harman, the only Republican currently running for California AG, will make the death penalty a campaign issue if San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, a death penalty opponent, becomes the Democratic nominee. Noting that a majority of Californians support capital punishment, Harman said that "The race could become a referendum on the death penalty." Harris' campaign manager disagreed, saying that reducing violent crime, solving the prison crisis and tackling financial crimes are uppermost on voters' minds. But District Attorney Harris' policies have not been very effective with regard to violent crime. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, of the nation's 20 largest cities, San Francisco has the ninth highest violent crime rate, much higher than the larger cities of New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. Murders in SF have been on the increase for five years and the 99 homicides in 2008, were the most since 1995.
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