"Look, this "we should keep them, alive to study them" argument has been used by opponents of the death penalty. It is not very convincing."
And has yet to happen. So far, the only thing that has happened when they are kept alive is so they can draw pretty little pictures and watch TV in their cells while writing letters to psycho women who want to have their babies.
Now let's be fair -- they also write children's books, give commencement addresses at liberal colleges and get nominated for Nobel prizes.