Judge Asks Why Murder Suspect Wasn't Already Behind Bars: A Michigan judge has revealed that the man suspected of murdering a two-year-old girl earlier this month should have been in jail at the time of the killing, and is asking why he was released from custody early.  CBS Detroit reports that 25-year-old Raymone Jackson was sentenced to 11 months in prison last September, but was released just six months later. Police believe Jackson killed the girl as form of retaliation against her father.
   
Delaware High Court Upholds Death Sentence: The Delaware Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the death sentence for a man convicted of murder nearly ten years ago.  Joe Jenkins of the Daily Voice reports that James Cooke was sentenced to death in 2012 for the rape and murder of a University of Delaware student in 2005.  Cooke was originally sentenced to death for the killing in 2007, but that conviction was ultimately thrown out by the state's high court in a divided ruling.  He was tried again and sentenced to death five years later.

Increase in Murders After Death Penalty Abolished: South Africa has experienced a sharp increase in murders and violent crimes in recent years, which some believe was caused by eliminating the death penalty. Laura Oneale of Guardian Liberty Voice reports that the murder rate has continued to increase since the death penalty was abolished in 1996.  South Africa, which has been rated the most murderous society in the world, averages more than 47,000 killings annually.