Slackers.
Outside the prison in subfreezing temperatures, 66 death penalty opponents gathered around space heaters and held posters as they protested the execution.
"This has been a long journey for Steve," said Rector, who also serves as executive director of the Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing. "He was very concerned about the Stafford family and left in peace."
Henley was sentenced to death for killing the Staffords, who lived near his farm in Jackson County, about 65 miles northeast of Nashville.
The couple, ages 64 and 67, were found dead in their burned-out farmhouse in 1985. Investigators initially thought their deaths were accidental, but an autopsy concluded both had been shot. The autopsy also found that Edna Stafford was still alive when the fire was set.
The chief witness at the trial was a co-defendant who testified that Henley was drunk, high on drugs and angry over a debt he believed the Staffords owed his grandparents.
Henley blamed the murders on the co-defendant, who served five years in prison and successfully finished parole last year.
Henley's lawyer launched 11th-hour maneuvers to try to delay the execution. But the U.S. Supreme Court and Gov. Phil Bredesen rejected Henley's request to postpone the execution until he could pursue a bid for clemency and have his death sentence commuted to life in prison. Henley's challenge to the state's lethal injection procedures also was turned aside.
Attorney Paul Davidson said Henley was "at peace with where he is" after learning his petitions were denied.
"I told him that I believed he would shortly be in a better place," Davidson said.
Tennessee has carried out five executions since the death penalty was restored in 1976.
After the execution, Gregory Henley read a statement from the family.
"I forgive the state of Tennessee for executing our loving Daddy," he said. "I want them to know I am praying for both our sides of the family and Fred and Edna Stafford's family. But I also want you to know you are executing an innocent man."
I for the death penalty, my initial reaction is TN might have executed an innicent man, especially after I read his words from his websote below. I would like to hear the states version of what happened.
Home PageMy name is Steve Henley. I am a 55 year old man who has spent the last 23 ... Because of my wrongful conviction and imprisonment, my two children grew up ...
www.stevehenley.org/steveswords.html
Slackers.
On the other hand, a rejection of capital punishment ensures that guilty men survive to walk the earth and claim new victims, causing new tragedies and ripping the hearts out of additional families. Judicious use of capital punishment is an excellent way to save innocent lives and prevent future tragedies.
So, the risk of occasionally executing an innocent man is absolutely warranted, IMO.
These heaters gave huge amounts of greenhouse gases. And the opponents left a massive carbon footprint from all their old beat up VW microbuses.
I would rather 12 innocent men die than 1 guilty man go free.
Pray for America, Our Troops and obama’s Guidance
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.
I used to be pro-death penalty, but there have been too many cases where prosecutors convict people they know or should know are not guilty. I would never vote to convict someone based only on eyewitness testimony.
The case of Gary Ridgeway, the Green River killer, provides the best argument I know for instituting a moratorium on the death penalty. If a man can admit to killing 50+ women in cold blood, and receive a sentence of life in prison, where is the justice in executing anybody other than true mass murderers (Timothy McVeigh, bin Laden, ...)? And doesn’t this send a message to murderers? Kill enough people and you can cut a deal to avoid the death penalty by offering to help the cops clear up their unsolved cases. Pity the poor schnook who fries for only killing one or two people whose bodies are found...