Posted on 05/18/2004 6:29:44 PM PDT by new cruelty
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A mentally ill killer was executed Tuesday evening after Gov. Rick Perry rejected a parole board's highly unusual recommendation to commute his death sentence or delay the execution.
Kelsey Patterson, 50, also lost an appeal to the Supreme Court in the hour before he was put to death.
A diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, Patterson was condemned for a double slaying almost 12 years ago. His lethal injection renewed the legal quandary of whether it is proper to execute someone who is mentally ill when the Supreme Court says it is unconstitutional to execute someone who is mentally retarded.
Strapped to the death chamber gurney, Patterson mumbled, "No kin, no kin, no kin. I'm not guilty of a charge of capital murder. Give me my rights. I'm acquitted of capital murder."
As the warden leaned over him and asked if he had a final statement, Patterson responded, "Statement to what? Statement to what? I'm not guilty of the charge of capital murder."
He continued to ramble, saying "give me my life back" as the lethal drugs took effect. He was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.
At least three mentally ill prisoners have been executed in Texas since the Supreme Court ruled two years ago that severely mentally retarded inmates should not be executed.
In a 5-1 vote, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles endorsed a petition from Patterson's lawyers and supporters that he be spared. Texas resumed carrying out executions in 1982, and Monday's board action marked the first time at this late stage in a condemned inmate's case the panel recommended the governor commute a death sentence.
"State and federal courts have reviewed this case no fewer than 10 times, examining his claims of mental illness and competency, as well as various other legal issues," Perry said in a statement less than an hour before Patterson's execution time. "In each instance the courts have determined there is no legal bar to his execution."
Patterson's lawyer, J. Gary Hart, said he was outraged by his client's death.
"I don't even know what to think about this," he told The Associated Press. "I didn't see what the downside would be for (the governor) to follow the recommendation of the parole board."
Patterson was condemned for the 1992 shootings of Dorthy Harris, 41, a secretary at an oil company office in Palestine, and her boss, Louis Oates, 63.
Evidence showed Patterson left his home in Palestine, about 100 miles southeast of Dallas, shot Oates in the head with a .38-caliber pistol and then shot Harris when she began screaming.
Then he went home, took off his clothes and was arrested walking on the street.
Harris' daughter, Michele Smith, sobbed after watching the execution.
"I want to especially thank the governor for giving me a chance to start again and have an end to such a horrible time in my life," she said.
"I started the day off very pessimistic, but it ended as I prayed it would."
In 1980 in Dallas and in 1983 in Palestine, Patterson was ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial on charges related to nonfatal shootings.
Throughout his trial, outbursts earned Patterson repeated expulsions from the courtroom. He frequently talked about "remote control devices" and "implants" that controlled him.
While on death row, he wrote nearly incomprehensible letters to courts about having amnesty and a permanent stay of execution.
In March, Perry for the first time since taking office in 2000 commuted the death sentence of a prisoner. That inmate is mentally retarded, and was not within hours of a scheduled execution.
In 1998, four days before former self-confessed serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was to die, then-Gov. George W. Bush commuted Lucas' sentence after questions were raised about his conviction. It was the only death sentence commuted by Bush in his six years in office when 152 executions were carried out.
Seems the criminals in Texas haven't noticed.
Did you know there were per capita, nearly TWICE as many burglaries in Houston than Los Angeles?
There are twice as many Larcenies in Houston than Los Angeles
And almost twice as many auto thefts in Houston than Los Angeles.
There are more forcible rapes in Houston than Los Angeles.
There are more robberies in Houston than Los Angeles.
And Houston is WAY above the national average for Murders.
Other cities in Texas, like Fort Worth are about the same.
Gee, and the Judicial branch of the State of Florida is still trying their damndest to execute Terri Schiavo, even though the legislative branch of the state passed a law fobidding it, and the Governor signed the law.
Poor Terri, if only she had committed some heineous crime, she might be spared execution!
Her crime against humanity? Well, she is a disabled, useless eater!
I often wonder why some people will fight tooth and nail to save a deranged convicted murderor, and yet think an innocent woman must be executed by the state ASAP, for being disabled.
And...? Did he kill them or not? That is the only relevant question. If so, than society did what it had to do.
We have a low repeat rate for murder.
W only commuted HLL sentence because he claimed to have killed dozens and gave specific details on several unsolved crimes. Plus he was terminally ill. BTW, you should have this dude. One eye always straying to the side, never looking at the subject at hand. F'ing POS. rot
Good point.
Why commute this one? I saw a documentary on Henry Lee Lucas once; the guy was very creepy to listen to. He had no conscience, no soul.
No argument from me there. But, he does make himself politically vulnerable when the Parole Board says "spare him" and he gives him the needle anyway.
If Perry someday tried to follow Bush to the White House, you know the ACLU, NAACP, Operation PUSH, the Congressional Bigot Caucus, the Nation of Islam and the rest of the race-baiting civil rights crowd would turn this murderer into James Byrd Jr. as fast as you can say Jesse Jackson.
Another murdeerous Palestinian bites the dust!
Then 'when' part of my inquiry is answered
correctly by... May 16, 2003,
when the board went from 18 to 6.
http://www.ncadp.org/html/texas-parole.html
Well if you kill someone in Texas we kill you back. If you don't like it stay out of Texas.
Sources?
Glad at least someone here sees this through the lens of reason.
You might want to also point out what the definition of mentally ill is.
Of course the concept of personal responsibility for one's decisions is deeply ingrained in the Texan psyche. Unless of course you are the Secretary of Defense.
I never knew that. Maybe I should move from Houston to Los Angeles, lol. Only thing is, the illegals are just as bad in both places.
What most non-Texans fail to understand is that Texas is not only a state but "A way of Life".
"In 1980 in Dallas and in 1983 in Palestine, Patterson was ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial on charges related to nonfatal shootings."
What I want to know is why he was ever allowed back on the street after this. What ACLU lawyer needs to be tarred-and-feathered because of this?
Ain't got the eggs to do what's right?
"You make me laugh, boy, I tell you what."
That was the intent, glad someone got it.
"Well if you kill someone in Texas we kill you back"
Unless of course you happen to be a mother that beats her kids to death with a rock (God told her to). Very consistent there in the'Lame Star State'.
TexMex street slang for balls. Sorry, I forget there are two kinds of people in the world, Texans.... and those who wish they were.
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