Our justice system (in theory) purposely has been wisely set up to remove emotion from the system. As of late, Liberalism (emotion) has been allowed to intrude, and punishments similar to the one you proposed, meted out according to the judges feelings.
I think that's one of the big reasons people have such a low opinion of our justice system. A system that passes judgment on emotion can not only pass out severe punishments, as the one you propose, but it can also pass out light sentences such as the one giving the Black Panthers a pass and no penalty for threatening voters with violence, as happened in 2008.
But back to my original question; If the death penalty is what is called for in the torture of an animal, what is the proper punishment for killing a human?
Or, to expand on the question, what is the proper punishment for someone who causes a human to be confined to a wheelchair for life?
I’m glad that you seem to have the time and desire to delve more deeply into complex issues of Justice. I don’t really have the time to do so. I also suspect that my feelings about appropriate punishment for individuals who would do this to a helpless animal or baby or child or adult won’t matter a bit when it comes to the dog’s breakfast of legislating the issue.
So I hope your quest for an amiable debating partner will conclude satisfactorily and that you have a Happy Holiday and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year.