Posted on 03/10/2005 6:03:05 AM PST by Former Military Chick
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. - A man who spent nearly a quarter century on death row for killing a couple and their two children was executed early Thursday.
Donald Ray Wallace, 47, died by injection at 12:23 a.m. at the Indiana State Prison. He was convicted in 1982 of slaying the Gilligan family - Patrick, Theresa, 5-year-old Lisa and Gregory, 4 - two years earlier during robbery at their Evansville home.
"I hope everyone can find peace with this," Wallace said in a final statement, according to Java Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Correction.
Wallace had declined to seek clemency from Gov. Mitch Daniels after exhausting his appeals.
The sister of Theresa Gilligan said it was time for Wallace to receive his court-ordered punishment.
"Sometimes there are crimes out there that are so horrible that it demands the punishment that the court applied," said Diana Harrington of Louisville, Ky. "If people have a problem with that, they should write their legislators."
A 40-minute prayer service was held Wednesday evening in Evansville at the same church where the Gilligans were married. Harrington told the 200 who attended that her sister and brother-in-law would have appreciated the turnout and that their "children with their wonderful manners and beautiful smiles would have welcomed you all."
Later Wednesday, about two dozen people protested outside the prison. They lit candles and carried signs reading, "Thou shalt not kill" and "Dark ages Indiana tonight."
Wallace's death ends a long-running appeals process that went to the Supreme Court, which late last year declined to hear the case.
Wallace is the 12th person executed by the state of Indiana since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. A second execution for this year is scheduled on April 21.
There really ought to be some way now to penalize the lawyers and judges who kept this monster around so long.
Justice delayed is justice denied!
This scumbad should have met his maker a LONG time ago.
What the hell causes the appeals process to take 25 years?
Indiana paid for 27,375 meals too many.
I had a long chat yesterday with former Governor Anderson of Kansas. He told me that of the last six people in Kansas executed, he signed their warrents. He also said that the decision regarding the death penalty and minors was just plain wrong. He must be in his 80s now, still practicing law. His son is a judge in my courthouse.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
the Gilligan family - Patrick, Theresa, 5-year-old Lisa and Gregory, 4...
Check out the Front Page Story on today's Dallas Morning News.
Here's what the new penalty would entail. After appropriate appeals, the convicted murderer would have his organs harvested so that people in need would benefit from his life giving service. After, lungs, heart, cornea, liver et al is harvested the medulla oblongata would be excised. A vegetative state would occur and the convict would not be fed any food and would die.
A win win if you ask me!
Care to fill us in a little more on the opinions Gov. Anderson of Kansas? Cause your lips move but i dont understand what you're saying.
I used to be rabidly and "permanently" of the same opinion, but I am having second thoughts.
Facing the ultimate fate of every human being has never bothered me much; the older I get, the less it bothers me, but...
Having faced the "possibility" of premature death, I can appreciate the natural initial panic that results, and in the case of condemned prisoners, must continue, day in... and day out... for months... then years...
By today's standards, it is cruel and unusual punishment.
I love it!
Sha-na-na-na Hey-hey-hey Gooood-bye!
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Damn!
You own a courthouse?
... I'm impressed!
There seems to be only one way we can protect ourselves from this kind of killer.
ditto
You need to get out more, dude. I understood perfectly.
well, it's not a very big courthouse.. and it's a bit run down but yes, yesterday I owned it!!! Won back to back hearings. YES.
Thank you so much for sharing your private conversation it does give insight to the issue as it pertains to Kansas. Currently my husband and I are at Ft Leavenworth, so we are living here as a transplant but we do want to do vote. participate in Kansas politics.
I do agree with your former Governor.
http://www.deadmaneating.com/
In my perfect world, every one of these animals gets fried. Sooner or later.
OK. But 15 minutes is all you get!
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