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Man Maintains Innocence in Couple's Killings During Lethal Injection
foxnews.com ^ | February 04, 2009

Posted on 02/04/2009 8:17:00 PM PST by fallingwater

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — While he was strapped onto a prison gurney awaiting execution, inmate Steve Henley said he hoped for peace for the family of the couple he was convicted of killing.

And Henley proclaimed, as he had since 1985, that he wasn't guilty of murdering Fred and Edna Stafford and setting their home on fire.

Henley was put to death by lethal injection early Wednesday after exhausting all legal appeals a few of hours before the execution.

"I'd like to say I hope this gives Fred and Edna's family some peace," Henley said in his last statement. "From my experience in life it won't. The death of a family member never brings anything but pain."

Henley talked with his two adult children who were watching from an execution viewing room at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution until he said he could feel the cocktail take effect.

His daughter, Leanne, blew him a kiss, and his son, Gregory, gave a thumbs-up. Henley's sister, Stephanie Worley, and son-in-law also attended.

"Stop that crying," Henley told his family as he playfully stuck out his tongue. "Y'all are a pitiful bunch."

Henley's head then rolled back onto the gurney, and he began to snore.

Stacy Rector, his spiritual adviser of 10 years, led the family's recitation of the Lord's Prayer as they clung to each other. Leanne Henley vomited into a trash can between her feet.

A nephew of the victims also witnessed the execution from a separate room.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: crime; deathpenalty; stevehenley
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To: ClearCase_guy

But would you still support the execution of innocents?


21 posted on 02/04/2009 9:06:29 PM PST by BykrBayb (May God have mercy on our souls. ~ Þ)
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To: Dianna
12 people heard the state's version. 12 people heard the convict's version. They went with the state.

Two words, "Mike Nifong"

22 posted on 02/04/2009 9:09:51 PM PST by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: carenot
I used to be for the death penalty. Then there were several cases that DNA proved the guy didn't do it.

I no longer always buy the evidence of the prosecution or the integrity of their witnesses as absolute. I don't know if I could ever sit on a jury. I've grown too cynical.

23 posted on 02/04/2009 9:10:53 PM PST by Drew68
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To: dfwgator
Two words, "Mike Nifong"

Exactly.

24 posted on 02/04/2009 9:11:54 PM PST by Drew68
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To: Drew68

Yep. That case made me seriously reconsider the death penalty, because there are times when zealous prosecutors will do anything to get a conviction for political expediency.


25 posted on 02/04/2009 9:13:28 PM PST by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: fallingwater

What do you expect from the only non high black county in TN that voted Obama.

in all seriousness, the only evidence you have is he said he was innocent


26 posted on 02/04/2009 9:17:02 PM PST by wardaddy (I'm for Sarah. Nuff said, you either get it or you don't. Enjoy Steele, he's no Palin.)
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To: Drew68; dfwgator
Two words, "Mike Nifong"

I take it that you are aware of innocent people who were convicted by Nifong. Even the despicable FBI agents did not cause someone to be injustly executed.

27 posted on 02/04/2009 9:17:34 PM PST by Lucius Cornelius Sulla ("men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." -- Edmund Burke)
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To: fallingwater

The “co-defendant” should have been executed as well. These two guys were clearly BOTH in on the murders. I suppose a deal had to be cut to nail at least one of the killers. As for the other, that’s up to the victims’ families to figure out.


28 posted on 02/04/2009 9:18:12 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Drew68
It is unusual for a condemned man to plead innocence all the way to his execution

Really?, and your source is what Boston Legal or Perry Mason?

with all due respect Drew

29 posted on 02/04/2009 9:18:19 PM PST by wardaddy (I'm for Sarah. Nuff said, you either get it or you don't. Enjoy Steele, he's no Palin.)
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To: fallingwater

I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.

Pray for America, Our Troops and obama’s Guidance


30 posted on 02/04/2009 9:18:44 PM PST by bray (Honest Sarah vs Oblago)
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Even the despicable FBI agents did not cause someone to be injustly executed.

Well as we saw in Waco, the FBI didn't even bother with a trial before carrying out their execution.

31 posted on 02/04/2009 9:20:26 PM PST by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: bray
I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.

And, again, you'll offer your parents? Brothers? Children? Or should it be the innocent members of someone else's family?

32 posted on 02/04/2009 9:22:47 PM PST by Drew68
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To: dfwgator
Two words, "Mike Nifong"

In another post I stated that I would like the appeals process to look over the evidence as well as the legal decision made.

I support the death penalty. I accept that because humans are involved that occaionally the system will go wrong. I pray that mistakes are unintentional and I would FULLY support the prosecution and death penalty for any public official found to have knowingly subverted the system.

33 posted on 02/04/2009 9:23:09 PM PST by Dianna (Obama Barbie: Governing is hard.)
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To: wardaddy
Really?, and your source is what Boston Legal or Perry Mason?

Just anecdotal. I don't read about it often. I usually read about the condemned resigned and asking forgiveness. It seems rare they're strapped to the gurney pleading their innocence.

34 posted on 02/04/2009 9:24:39 PM PST by Drew68
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To: Drew68
It is unusual for a condemned man to plead innocence all the way to his execution.

and on what do you base this? look up Roger Keith Coleman... Time Magazine put him on the cover of their magazine before he was executed... he was executed in 1992--claiming his innocence... further DNA tests were done in 2006... proving his guilt...

i will never forget that magazine cover... i found a copy of it on the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Keith_Coleman

35 posted on 02/04/2009 9:25:03 PM PST by latina4dubya ( self-proclaimed tequila snob)
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To: bray
I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.

Really? I believe the founders said they'd rather 12 guilty go free rather than 1 innocent be jailed.

If I thought the innocent being executed was any more than a very occasional thing, and if I thought that the process couldn't reasonably be made more secure, then I would not support it.

36 posted on 02/04/2009 9:26:04 PM PST by Dianna (Obama Barbie: Governing is hard.)
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To: fallingwater

I am not sure what a lot of the comments have to do with this case. This man was not innocent and a innocent man was not murdered. Two people were murdered, one burned to death and only two people were there to have committed the crime.

The co-defendant should have received more than 5 years because he was at least an accessory to murder and arson. If the co-defendant was the one who shot the man and woman and then burned the house then Henley should have, and it seems, would have, turned states evidence against him. The jury believed the co-defendant, but the co-defendant and Henley were both guilty in my opinion. Henley got 25 years more of life, the people he murdered did not. Henley had the motive and he was there.


37 posted on 02/04/2009 9:26:31 PM PST by WildcatClan (Iam fimus mos ledo ventus apparatus)
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To: bray; Jim Robinson
I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.

So you are in favor of overturning the presumption of innocence?

Does this comport with Free Republic's mission statement?

Cheers!

38 posted on 02/04/2009 9:34:02 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: ClearCase_guy
John Adams said that it is better to let 100 guilty men go free than to imprison one innocent man. I'm not as concerned about imprisonment, but I'm very concerned that people who can't tell their ass from a hole in the ground put men to death. I'm VERY supportive of the idea of the death penalty, I'm just concerned about it's implementation by the system.

I'm sure, certain in fact, that you would not be as cavalier if the man on death row was YOUR Father.

39 posted on 02/04/2009 9:36:57 PM PST by politicalmerc (NObama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: bray
I believe your problem is that you're praying for obama’s Guidance instead of God's. Anyone who accepts Obama's guidance is doomed.
40 posted on 02/04/2009 9:58:00 PM PST by BykrBayb (May God have mercy on our souls. ~ Þ)
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