Lawrence Russell Brewer Executed lastnight in Texas

[KLD1019]

http://www.kfdm.com/articles/lawrence-44888-russell-brewer.html

Brewer had been on Death Row for the past 12 years for the 1998 murder in which Byrd was dragged several miles down Huff Creek Road just outside of Jasper. Byrd tried to hold himself up by his elbows. His body swung from side to side until it struck a culvert and he was decapitated.

HUNTSVILLE - The State of Texas has executed Lawrence Russell Brewer for the dragging death of James Byrd Junior.
Brewer was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m. Wednesday at the Walls Unit in Huntsville.
6 News reporter Lindsey Kovacevich was a witness to the execution.
She reports two of James Byrd Junior's sisters, Louvon Harris and Clara Taylor, and a niece, Tiffany Taylor, were witnesses to the execution. They were the first to be escorted down the street and into the Walls Unit for the execution. Media witnesses were taken through the courtyard and Brewer's mother, father, brother and two friends soon followed to prepare to witness the execution.
Lindsey reports that once the witnesses were inside the viewing room, they saw Brewer strapped to the gurney. He was wearing white clothing and a white sheet was pulled up to his chest. He was pale and appeared nervous. Brewer looked only at his family and almost started to cry. His parents and brother were very emotional throughout the entire execution, crying for much of the time.
When the mixture of lethal chemicals began flowing into his body, Brewer looked away from his family and stared at the ceiling. His eyes quickly closed and within minutes, he breathed heavily a few times, his chest heaved once, and then there was silence. Only then did his brother look back at him. By then, Brewer was dead.
His family didn't talk to reporters when the execution was over.
Clara Taylor, one of Byrd's sisters, said she was here for her brother but also her mother.
Taylor said the execution is the first step toward justice. The next step step is the execution of John William King, the other convicted killer sentenced to death. He doesn't have an execution date. Shawn Allen Berry, the third man convicted of killing Byrd, is serving a life sentence. He isn't eligible for parole until June 7, 2038.

I remember when this happened. it was horrific! in the interview he gave to a reporter yesterday, he said he had no remorse and would do it again. :mad

 

[rback33]

I remember this from the papers. He was a piece of work for sure!

 

[hart]

Good Riddance

 

[Minor Axis]

So was he sick or a prejudicial bastard? Such as the debate goes. How do you reach the point of inflicting such pain on another human being?

 

[Natasha]

And THIS is exactly why I believe in the Death Penalty. That is pure evil right there...pure pure evil.

 

[Minor Axis]

And THIS is exactly why I believe in the Death Penalty. That is pure evil right there...pure pure evil.

There is believing in an infallible Death Penalty and then there is the IMPERFECT human managed/implementation of the Death Penalty which is what we are stuck with for multiple reasons. So is your attitude that a few innocent people snuffed by the System is necessary to nail the real bad people and that overall we come out the other side a moral society after we have murdered innocent citizens?

 

[Natasha]

There is believing in an infallible Death Penalty and then there is the IMPERFECT human managed/implementation of the Death Penalty which is what we are stuck with for multiple reasons. So is your attitude that a few innocent people snuffed by the System is necessary to nail the real bad people and that overall we come out the other side a moral society after we have murdered innocent citizens?

Don't put words in my mouth. People who twist things around to suit their needs, LIKE YOU, are exactly why I try to stay out of this area. Way to lose sight of the fact that a horrific murder was avenged w/ THIS execution. Probably because of the Tea Party, huh???

 

[Panacea]

That poor man, what a horrific way to die...cannot even imagine the terror

 

[Tim]

That poor man, what a horrific way to die...cannot even imagine the terror

Don't worry, the drugs put him to sleep first. He didn't feel a thing.

 

[Panacea]

Don't worry, the drugs put him to sleep first. He didn't feel a thing.

I'm sometimes sarcasm illiterate but I did mean the man who was dragged to death heh

 

[Tim]

I'm sometimes sarcasm illiterate but I did mean the man who was dragged to death heh

Oh, I know what you were saying... but I thought I would use your comment to make a little point...

This man took another mans life in a horrific way, a very agonizing prolonged death. Yet people are glad that the killer was gently put down.
I would have much rather seen him spend his life behind bars.

 

[Accountable]

I agree with Minor. So long as there is the slightest possibility that the convict might not be guilty of the capital crime, then the gov't should not execute him/her. The gov't exists to serve and protect all of its citizens. Execution can't be recanted if we suddenly find new evidence that would have exonerated the dead guy.

I also agree with Tim. If we as a society are willing to kill another human as punishment, then we should have the balls to do it in public. We're not putting down the family pet. This guy makes no apology for dragging another human being down a street until dead. If we are willing to execute him, we should be willing to tie him to the back of a truck and drag him down the street until dead ... and show it on live television.

 

[Rachie]

No freaking remorse? Dude - what kind of sick bas...never mind. My only other comment is that "execution" isn't the only word that makes my skin crawl.

 

[Panacea]

It really isn't justice, is it?

 

[Natasha]

It really isn't justice, is it?

Here's my problem w/ the death penalty. The convicted gets multiple chances to try to save their life, a chance to speak to a clergyman, an opportunity to say goodbye to his/her family, and a requested a last meal. The victims...they just get to still be dead.

 

[Panacea]

Here's my problem w/ the death penalty. The convicted gets multiple chances to try to save their life, a chance to speak to a clergyman, an opportunity to say goodbye to his/her family, and a requested a last meal. The victims...they just get to still be dead.

It's true, there's certainly better treatment of the murderer by the powers that be than the murdered.

 

[BadBoy]

Here's my problem w/ the death penalty. The convicted gets multiple chances to try to save their life, a chance to speak to a clergyman, an opportunity to say goodbye to his/her family, and a requested a last meal. The victims...they just get to still be dead.

Not anymore, at least in Texas. http://news.yahoo.com/texas-prisons-end-special-last-meals-executions-195102056.html

 

[Tim]

Here's my problem w/ the death penalty. The convicted gets multiple chances to try to save their life, a chance to speak to a clergyman, an opportunity to say goodbye to his/her family, and a requested a last meal. The victims...they just get to still be dead.

But why is that a problem? We live in a country that treats everyone fairly under the law. Just remember that many people were put on trial for murder that were not guilty and some were even convicted. So without treating everyone fairly under the law, there would have been scores more innocent people executed over the years. I for one am glad we live in a country that gives equal protection under the law and if a jury or judge was biased in your case, you have the ability to take it to a higher court. Since people aren't perfect, the justice system has been designed in such a way that you can appeal your conviction.
And as far as last rights, last meal and all the other stuff... I for one believe that none of that should be necessary since I don't believe in the death penalty. Once an individual is put to death, justice can never be served if a mistake was made.

 

[Panacea]

We live in a country that treats everyone fairly under the law.

I think that is debatable, sadly

 

[Natasha]

I for one am glad we live in a country that gives equal protection under the law and if a jury or judge was biased in your case, you have the ability to take it to a higher court. Since people aren't perfect, the justice system has been designed in such a way that you can appeal your conviction.

My problem w/ it is the victims gets no right to appeal their deaths. And in a case like Troy Davis, all the appeals in the world didn't save him.