Prison Officials and Protesters Prepare for Cooper Execution (killed 4; Jesse J alert)

kxtv.com ^

[chance33_98]

Prison Officials and Protesters Prepare for Cooper Execution

Administrators at San Quentin State Prison are preparing for California's first execution in two years. Convicted murderer Kevin Cooper is scheduled to be executed just after midnight Tuesday.

Even as officials went about restricting inmates and curbing visitation, Cooper's supporters were making last-ditch efforts to stay the execution until further evidence can be tested.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson attended church at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland and made a plea on Cooper's behalf. "We appeal to Gov. Schwarzenegger, to Attorney General Lockyer not to kill Kevin Cooper tomorrow night," said Jackson. "They must not make a decision that's irreversible and final without the final information.

Cooper was convicted of four counts of murder for the 1983 slayings of Douglas and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica, and an 11-year-old houseguest, Christopher Hughes. Joshua Ryen, 8, although severely injured, survived the attack. Cooper had just escaped from the nearby California Institution for Men at Chino when the murders occurred.

On Saturday, three of the jurors who convicted Cooper called for a stay of the execution so hair and blood evidence can be tested.

Last week, Kristina Rebelo, who worked as a reporter for the United Press International wire service, cam forward with a claim that she met a man who has firsthand knowledge that evidence was planted in the case. "He said to me 'Kevin Cooper did not kill that family' and I said 'yes he did, I was there, I saw the evidence,'" said Rebelo. "'Kevin Cooper killed that family' and he said 'no he didn't. We were told to plant evidence.'"

Amid pleas for execution to be postponed, the mother of one of Cooper's victims, Mary Ann Hughes, urged officials to go forward with the execution. Hughes contends the issues being raised on Cooper's behalf are not new, saying they have been examined "millions of times."

[Eric in the Ozarks]

1983 ?

[old3030]

He's already had an extra 20 years that the victims didn't have. Seems odd that they would have known to plant DNA evidence in 1983, long before DNA testing became commonplace.

Howdy, Eric, I'm in the Ozarks, too.

[SpaceBar]

The majority of protestors are no doubt the same liberal nitwits who thought we needed to stay out of Iraq so Saddam could execute millions of innocents. If you stand back and look at the big picture, all these news stories merge.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

[Pylot]

It is solid DNA evidence from hair to blood that confirmed the conviction that was already in place.

Now the testing they want to do on the evidence is irrelevant. The fact is the DNA is what confirmed this fellows guilt.

[old3030]

I pass by all the time. I'm outside Springfield and the grandkids live around Jeff.

[The Great RJ]

I wonder if these same people will in 15-20 years rally around to block the execution of that pervert in Florida who recently abducted and murdered the 11 year old girl? Will they argue that the surveillance tape showing the abduction was a fake or that the DNA evidence is somehow not relevant? Wait the accused is white--I guess Jesse Jackson won't be around.

[jocon307]

What color were the victims, and why did this man kill them?

[baltodog]

How long until some vigilante force sarts to make these into non-issues?

[Still Thinking]

Um, who was the last black convict again that JJ actually thought was guilty?

[Teacher317]

"'Kevin Cooper killed that family' and he said 'no he didn't. We were told to plant evidence.'"

Logically speaking, whether evidence was planted or not does not mean that he did not do it. A cop could've planted evidence to make a better case against the person who actually did it.

(Evidence planting is undeniably wrong in all cases, of course)

[zygoat]

O.K. Ahnold, now you can show us what you're made of. Vill you terminate him?

[Born Conservative]

Is this the first scheduled execution since Ahhhnuld has been in office?