Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Marvallous Keene Receives the Maximum

The Associated Press reports on the execution by lethal injection in Ohio of Marvallous Keene, known as the Christmas Joy Killer.


A man who went on a 1992 Christmas holiday killing spree that left six people dead, including an 18-year-old mother gunned down at a pay phone, was executed Tuesday, the state's second execution in two weeks and the 1,000th lethal injection in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Marvallous Keene, 36, who was convicted in five of the murders, chose not to file a late appeal over his death sentence.

He died by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville — seven days after Ohio's last execution. It was the fastest turnaround since the state executed two inmates in six days in 2004.

He was 20 years old when he committed his crimes. Wouldn't life in prison without the possibility of parole accomplish the safeguarding of society? They say that costs even less than bringing a man to execution, which in this case took 16 years. Costs could be further defrayed by letting the pot smokers and white collar criminals out.

My ideas are, of course, based on the thinking that deterrence doesn't work and vengeance has no place in the legal system. To determine what's best for everyone concerned, including the government, is what we need to do.

What's your opinion? Does deterrence work? Is vengeance a valid motive in sentencing? Do you think capital punishment is good for society?

Please leave a comment.

2 comments:

  1. What he did was wrong true enough....The human race(white)has no heaven are hell to put no one in man is not GOD who gives them that right to play GOD,who gives them the right to kill someone murder is murder they did the sme as he did so they should put to death also why is that a inmate has to do the dirty work for them why they cant do it for themselves wrong is wrong right is right why he couldnt just stay in jail for the rest of his life as the others are doing??? Who gives T.Strickland that right tell him to put the inmates to rest let's see how he sleep at night...

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  2. Anonymous, If I understand your comment you're saying the death penalty is wrong. Is that what you're saying?

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