TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Tag: death penalty

  • No justice for Megan Kanka

    ‘Megan’s Law’ killer escapes death under N.J. execution ban:

    The man who raped and killed 7-year-old Megan Kanka — the 1994 crime that inspired “Megan’s Law” — is one of eight men whose sentences were commuted to life in prison this week as part of New Jersey’s new ban on execution.

    The Garden State on Monday became the first state in more than three decades to abolish the death penalty after a commission ruled the punishment is “inconsistent with evolving standards of decency.”

    Gov. Jon Corzine the day before commuted the sentences of eight men sitting on the state’s death row. They will now serve life in prison without parole, according to the governor’s office.

    Among the eight is Jesse Timmendequas, 46, who was sentenced to death in June 1997 for Megan’s murder.

    Prosecutors said Timmendequas lured Megan to his home by saying he wanted to show her a puppy. He then raped her, beat her and strangled her with a belt. A day later, he led police to her body.

    I would have been content if New Jersey executed this scumbag then abolished the death penalty. Thanks a lot Gov. Corzine for pissing on the grave of Megan Kanka.

  • Death sought for Underwood

    Death sought for Underwood

    Alleged cannibal plot is murder one, judge says:

    This is the first news we’ve had on Kevin Ray Underwood in a while…

    PURCELL, Oklahoma (AP) — A man accused of killing a 10-year-old girl in what investigators describe as a cannibalistic plot will be tried for first-degree murder, a judge ruled Tuesday.

    Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Kevin Ray Underwood, 26, accused of strangling Jamie Rose Bolin.

    After Underwood’s arrest, police and prosecutors revealed grisly details of the crime, saying Underwood raped the girl’s corpse and planned to eat her flesh. A medical examiner’s report released later indicated there were signs of sexual assault, but could not determine if they were inflicted after her death.

    I eagerly await to hear the defense’s strategy on this one.

  • NJ Death Penalty Moratorium

    NJ Death Penalty Moratorium

    N.J. lawmakers vote to suspend executions:

    New Jersey lawmakers voted Monday to suspend executions while a task force studies the fairness and costs of imposing the death penalty.

    The measure now heads to Gov. Richard J. Codey, who has indicated he will sign it before leaving office on January 17.

    So, basically, New Jersey is putting a moratorium on the death penalty for now. Well, that’s all well and good, but you have to actually execute someone before you can have a moratorium. No one has been executed in New Jersey in over 40 years.

    “By its action today, the Assembly joins the Senate in signaling deep concern that the state’s death penalty system isn’t working,” said Celeste Fitzgerald, director of New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

    How do you know it’s not working when you don’t use it?

    Do you know who is on New Jersey’s Death Row? Jesse Timmendequas. For those of you who don’t know who Jesse Timmendequas is, he’s the scumbag that raped and killed 7-year-old Megan Kanka, the girl who Megan’s Law was named after. Here’s what the scumbag did to her…

    After raping her, Timmendequas killed her by slamming her head onto a dresser and putting a plastic bag on her head. He then strangled her with a belt. He later raped her body in his car. He discarded the body in a toybox and dumped it into a park.

    Does that sound like someone who the death penalty was applied to, unfairly?

    Anyway, don’t act like you’re doing some great humanitarian thing by calling for a moratorium when you haven’t used the damn thing in over 40 years. Use it or don’t use it but don’t act like that New Jersey has been this unstoppable killing machine of the wrongly accused when it hasn’t.

  • Thank you California

    Thank you California

    I know you would probably never see me type those words, but it’s true. Alejandro Avila, who was convicted of abducting and killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion. Avila was sentenced to death today. I’ll be doubly thankful when it’s finally carried out.

  • Alejandro Avila

    Alejandro Avila

    I dare…nay…I defy one person to tell me that this scumbag doesn’t absolutely deserve the death penalty. Alejandro Avila was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering Samantha Runnion…

    Some details from the case…

    Samantha was abducted, kicking and screaming, from outside her home in Stanton on July 15, 2002. Her nude body was found the following day in mountains some 50 miles away, left on the ground as if it had been posed.

    Samantha’s DNA was found on the inside of the door of Avila’s car. That evidence came from a small amount of clear liquid that the prosecution said was consistent with tears or mucous.

    Avila, of Lake Elsinore, had been acquitted of molesting two girls in 2001 in neighboring Riverside County, and authorities said they believe he killed Samantha to avoid another such trial.

    Try and tell me that this assclown doesn’t deserve to be removed from society in the most vicious and excruciating way possible.

    I defy you.

  • Responsibility is Unconstitutional

    Responsibility is Unconstitutional

    High court: Juvenile death penalty unconstitutional:

    In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that executing 16 and 17-year-olds is unconstitutional. Executions for those 15 and younger had been previously outlawed. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said…

    “Our society views juveniles … as categorically less culpable than the average criminal,” Kennedy wrote.

    With all due respect to Justice Kennedy, this is a load of crap. In which society are 16 and 17-year-olds viewed as less culpable? So what you’re telling me is that if Dylan Klebold had lived (Eric Harris was 18 at the time) after Columbine that he would not deserve the death penalty because somehow in your mind he’s “less culpable”?

    This sends out one of the worst messages possible. “Hey, kids, go out and kill all you want. You’re less culpable than the average criminal“

    Personal responsibility dies another death.

    UPDATE: Ogre has a take on this as well.

  • Megan Kanka

    Megan Kanka

    Megan Kanka

    Megan’s Law mom ponders daughter’s legacy:

    Ten years ago today, Megan Kanka was killed. In case you don’t know who Megan was, she is the little girl who Megan’s Law was named for. She would be 17 if she were alive today. For any of us who lived in Jersey at the time of her death will never forget.

    Megan’s Law is the law that allows neighborhoods to be notified that there is a sex offender living there. Megan was killed by repeat child molester Jesse Timmendequas. The sad thing is that even though there is a national Megan’s Law that was signed into effect by President Clinton in 1996, it is not uniformly enforced from state to state.

    According to Megan’s mother, Maureen Kanka who runs the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation, sex offenders will check to see which states have the weaker laws. This law does need to be enforced uniformly from state to state to try to prevent this from happening again anywhere.

    What also kills me is that even though Jesse Timmendequas was sentenced to die, he’s still alive. For those of you who think that executing a piece of scum like Timmendequas is cruel and unusual, read what he did. I’ll put it behind a cut as it’s very disturbing….

    Timmendequas lured Megan into his house, across the street from hers, offering to show her a puppy. Megan soon found that there was no puppy. After raping her, he slammed her head onto a dresser, put a plastic bag over her head, and strangled her with a belt. Blood came out of her mouth before she died. He raped her post-mortem after putting her in his car after he drove off. He then stuck her body into a toy box and left it in a nearby county park. A day later, he had led police to the body in the park.

    (Source)

    It won’t bring Megan back. It’s not supposed to. It’s supposed to punish the guilty. A scumbag like Timmendequas showed no regard for Megan’s life. Why should we show regard for his? At least Timmendequas had the luxury of a trial. Megan didn’t. Execute him now.