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 ...
But would you still support the execution of innocents?
Two words, "Mike Nifong"
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.
Exactly.
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.
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
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.
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.
Really?, and your source is what Boston Legal or Perry Mason?
with all due respect Drew
I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.
Pray for America, Our Troops and obama’s Guidance
Well as we saw in Waco, the FBI didn't even bother with a trial before carrying out their execution.
And, again, you'll offer your parents? Brothers? Children? Or should it be the innocent members of someone else's family?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
So you are in favor of overturning the presumption of innocence?
Does this comport with Free Republic's mission statement?
Cheers!
I'm sure, certain in fact, that you would not be as cavalier if the man on death row was YOUR Father.
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