South Dakota awaits first execution in 60 years

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | July, 11, 2007 | Chet Brokaw

[RGPII]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A 25-year-old man awaited a lethal injection Wednesday for the torture and slaying of a teenager who was forced to drink hydrochloric acid during a robbery of his home. It was to be the state's first execution in 60 years. Elijah Page, 25, gave up his appeals and asked to die for the 2000 murder of Chester Allan Poage, who was also stabbed, kicked and bashed with large rocks in a torture session that lasted two to three hours.

Page was scheduled to be put to death at 10 p.m.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Say bye, scumbag!

[fortheDeclaration]

Keating said they came to make sure Poage, the murder victim, was remembered. "People are forgetting that boy was tortured for three hours, crying to go home. That's sick," she said. "I'm just here to support justice for this tortured boy. Maybe his mother will sleep better tonight."

'For he will have judgement without mercy that shewed no mercy' (James 2:13)

[Northern Alliance]

I consider myself a compassionate person, but a quick death is simply too good for this guy. I can't believe down deep people that do this kind of thing really think they will get away with it - I think they really want to die themselves, but not painfully like their victims do and that should be the way he dies - tortured and forced to drink acid.

[RGPII]

A positively demonic (or drug induced) act, I was not familiar with before. It’s surprising that he, Elijah Page had two accomplices with him.

Also, a lot of us had a primary reaction that this Elijah Page was at least taking some responsibility in this crime, by not going through appeals to delay his execution but upon thinking about the crime, it is so heinous that I don’t see how anyone could live with themselves and everyone knowing they did such a thing.

Now, this college co-ed was murdered in Wisconsin and Minnesota has had some bad crimes too. It is time, these states implemented the death penalty too.