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Friday, 18 June 2010

Killer Ronnie Lee Gardner Executed by Firing Squad

At New York Times, "Utah Executes Murderer by Firing Squad." And at ABC News, "'He Will Never Assault Anybody Again'."

It's extremely fascinating. Death by gunshot's obviously more humane than the peace industry's lethal injection horror show. Gardner's attorney's made an 11th hour appeal to stop the execution, but the wheels of justice kept rolling despite late efforts to slow things down. Watch for
the international outcry all weekend as criminal rights groups attack the U.S. as "barbaric." And the circumstances surrounding the case would seem to give death penalty opponents ammunition. Gardner's victim, attorney Michael Burdell, was a pacifist who opposed capital punishment. Attorney's for dead-man-walking Gardner invoked Burdell's name in speaking out out against the execution, saying that "Michael Burdell's voice has never been heard."

Couple of videos below. I wonder if someone's got a hidden mini-cam clip of this guy's death? Gardner's arms kept twitching after the shots fired, apparently. And it's hard to keep that stuff off the Internet in this day and age:

Cross-posted from American Power.

5 comments:

drew458 said...

He kept twitching for a couple seconds because they put the target too low. They should have mounted it to a pair of sunglasses. I would have issued the riflemen reproduction Civil War Springfields; a big charge of black powder and a big soft 58 caliber mini-ball. Nobody would notice any twitching until the smoke cleared, by which point his head would be nearly impossible to locate.

Anonymous said...

"Michael Burdell's voice has never been heard."

Unintentional irony is the most ironic kind.

TOTWTYTR said...

Seems like a lot of sympathy for this murderous thug. At least the ABC story interviewed the victim's brother.

I'll save my compassion for the victims and their families, thank you very much.

Alex VanderWoude said...

"Death by gunshot's obviously more humane than the peace industry's lethal injection horror show."

I'm surprised by this assertion. As I understand it, lethal injection is actually a series of injections where the first one puts the subject to sleep, and the later ones paralyse the lungs and then the heart. There is not supposed to be any pain, nor any inaccurate non-lethal shots, nor any icky twitching, etc. On the surface at least it seems like a more humane choice.

Or have I simply missed a sarcasm tag?

Please clarify!

RRR said...

" And the circumstances surrounding the case would seem to give death penalty opponents ammunition."

Killed two persons? both by gunshot?

No Ronnie was not a nice person 25 yrs ago. Did he change? Probably did, but he remains guilty as hell. This was not a case of being Nifonged!

Too bad court cops could not hit the broad side of a barn, as this story would be one of almost ancient history!

Taxpayers have only spent 2 million for his care and feeding. I'm sure it's more with free medical and such.

http://www.theagitator.com/#026389
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