Death Sentence for Missouri Child Killer: A Missouri Judge has sentenced Craig Wood, 49, to death for the 2014 kidnap, rape, and murder of a 10-year-old girl. Fox News reports that Wood snatched fourth grader Hailey Owens off a street in broad daylight in front of witnesses, who took down his license number. He took the girl to his house, raped her, shot her in the head, and left her body in the basement. Jurors were unanimous in finding Wood guilty of capital murder, but could not agree on whether he should receive LWOP or a death sentence. Because of this, Missouri law places the sentencing decision with the judge. Wood's attorneys told reporters they will argue on direct appeal that his trial was unconstitutional.
Top MS-13 Leader Arrested: The DEA announced Thursday that its agents had arrested 17 top-ranking members of the violent MS-13 drug gang. Larry Celona, Kevin Sheehan, and Danika Fears of the New York Post report that a multi-agency task force put together last May led to the leaders of the violent gang's activities in at least 8 Long Island towns. Included among those arrested is the group's Northeast leader, who was not named. The arrestees have been indicted on charges, including drug trafficking, murder, and conspiracy, and face sentences up to 25 years to life in federal prison if convicted. The investigation has also led to affiliated gangs in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas.
Top MS-13 Leader Arrested: The DEA announced Thursday that its agents had arrested 17 top-ranking members of the violent MS-13 drug gang. Larry Celona, Kevin Sheehan, and Danika Fears of the New York Post report that a multi-agency task force put together last May led to the leaders of the violent gang's activities in at least 8 Long Island towns. Included among those arrested is the group's Northeast leader, who was not named. The arrestees have been indicted on charges, including drug trafficking, murder, and conspiracy, and face sentences up to 25 years to life in federal prison if convicted. The investigation has also led to affiliated gangs in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas.
Death Sentence for Missouri Child Killer:
How much of Americans' "opposition" to the death
penalty would evaporate were democrats' unjust, costly delays eliminated?
These comments to the article suggest that more Americans really want to
support the death penalty.
---- --- --- ----
Springfield residents and others reacted on social media after Wood’s death sentence, the News-Leader reported.
I’m 76, I’ll die before he does.
— Lee Ferber (@PeolaValley) January 11, 2018
Justice served
— Terry Johnson (@koby72cuda) January 11, 2018
— "It's a satisfying verdict," posted Jessica Pendaz
.. "Even though it'll cost taxpayers, it's still a relief to hear he'll die for what he did."
— Rapper Mike Wallace .. prompted many readers to hit "Like": "They finally get
a verdict right now let's just shoot him now and not (waste) taxpayer money,"
— Twitter user @LisaChilds1979 commented, "Sentenced to death but will sit on death row because we don’t have a system that disposes of pieces of [expletive redacted] that murders children. #craigwood #haileyowens"
Some of the News-Leader’s readers were, however, opposed to the death penalty.
— "It costs more to keep a prisoner on death row than life in prison. Why?” reader Ginger Williamson wrote to the newspaper. “Who do you think pays for all those appeals? We the taxpayers do."
~ http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2018/01/11/
springfield-reacts-craig-wood-death-sentence/1026377001/