That poor girl. I still remember the day I heard she had been found. I was driving my daughter to dance and literally had chills all over. I was so shocked and happy she was alive. I hope both of her kidnappers get the death penalty and that it is sooner than later.
These are occasions for summary justice- firing squad. Unfortunately, we see more of these heinous acts with each passing day.
I remember the day she was found, too. I was listening to Hannity. He was talking about something or other and stopped mid-sentence and said, “You have got to be kidding me...they have found Elizabeth Smart alive!”
I got chills, too.
They’ll have to execute his psychiatric protectors first.
I think Wanda really is mentally ill — schizophrenic/psychotic/whatever — and can’t be held fully responsible for her actions. Based on recent reports from her mother, who released letters Wanda had written from prison, her tone has changed dramatically since she’s been on medication. Mitchell, on the other hand, appears to be just a garden variety sociopath, who not only doesn’t care how much he hurts people in the course of getting what he wants, but actually relishes it. He probably did some awful things to Wanda too, taking advantage of her mental illness in much the same way he took advantage of Elizabeth’s youth. Wanda probably belongs right where she is, in a secure mental institution under medication.
Mitchell should have been executed a long time ago. There’s something way wrong with our legal system when somebody can put on courtroom shows of uncontrollable mental illness and then be allowed to refuse medication. If he’s not menatlly ill, then he can control himself in the courtroom if he wants to, and if he’s mentally ill to the point of being unable to control himself, then he’s in no condition to be the judge of whether or not he needs medication. He’s figured out this idiotic loophole in our legal system and consciously exploited it.
The Supremes have meddled well beyond their proper bounds and said that a death penalty for this crime is "cruel and unusual". They are wrong, in the sense that it's no more cruel to execute an evil predator who rapes a girl daily for many years than it is to execute an evil predator who murders a girl. They are also wrong in the sense that if execution is the standard penalty for raping a child (as it should be for this type of crime), then it is not legally an "unusual" punishment.
Sadly, our excuse for a justice system cannot give these evil rapists the punishment they deserve. Fortunately though, plenty of ordinary decent criminals will have their eyes open for an opportunity to do the right thing. In general, I believe that we should provide a safe environment for those in state custody, but my feelings become ambiguous when the justice system is broken.