Parole Board Green-Lights Execution of Kelly Gissendaner Despite Pope's Plea

NBC News ^ | 09/29/2015 | Tracy Connor

[ScottWalkerForPresident2016]

Georgia's parole board declined Tuesday to commute the death sentence of Kelly Renee Gissendaner— even after Pope Francis called for a halt to her execution.

Gissendaner, who was sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of her husband at the hands of her lover, is set to receive a lethal injection at 7 p.m. ET.

Pope Francis, who called for a ban on the death penalty during his visit to the United States last week, asked the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to spare her life, through a letter written by a local archbishop.

"While not wishing to minimize the gravity of the crime for which Ms. Gissendander has been convicted, and while sympathizing with the victims, I nonetheless implore you, in consideration of the reasons that have been expressed to your board, to commute the sentence to one that would better express both justice and mercy," Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano wrote.

[Tennessee Nana]

the daughter of Ma Richards is the PP CEO at the Senate hearing today...

Cecile Richards..

[Boogieman]

Heck, the apologists around here still like to claim the Catholic church had absolutely nothing to do with all that business.

[SeaHawkFan]

When Westley Allan Dodd gave his life to Christ very soon after he was arrested, he immediately pled guilty, insisted that he be given the death sentence by hanging, and then did everything possible to expedite his execution.

That is a true conversion, and even though he was saved, he insisted on paying the maximum penalty for his crime.

[South40]

Deal is a liberal democRAT.

[Robe]

Well with out the Roman death penalty Jesus would not have been put to death on the cross...hence no Redeemer, no Salvation , no Christian Religion

[samtheman]

Maybe if they dissect her, and sell her organs for medical research, with US Government support, the Pope won’t mind so much...

---

That’s only good for innocent babies, not for vicious criminals.

[Biggirl]

Also got to remember that THE BOOK in the Hebrew/OT scriptures spoke of the sufferings of Jesus ahead of time.

[lacrew]

The death penalty in this country is a crap shoot. Just today, in local news (Kansas), a murderer was sent back to prison on a parole violation.

IOW, a few years ago, this guy was actually paroled! His crime was in 1980, he entered the home of a woman he knew, stole one dollar from her, tied her up with a cord, raped her, drowned her daughter in the tub, beat and stabbed her small boy in the chest, and left him for dead.

That guy gets parole. This woman gets the death penalty. Doesn’t make sense. Especially since her sentence is harsher than the ‘hands on’ killer’s was.

[Vigilanteman]

One can always find examples of even more hideous scumbags who escaped proper justice. That is not a good argument for abolition of the death penalty. But it is perhaps a good argument for expanding it.

[Paul R.]

I was looking at the comments on a slightly earlier story about this murderess, on Yahoo News, and, not ONE comment on the 1st page was in favor of anything but immediate execution, even if it was painful. (That was as far as I read.)

On Yahoo? Wow, people really are getting fed up...

[Paul R.]

The actual killer made a deal...

[Mr Ramsbotham]

The Pope ought to be appealing for her to accept the consequences of her crime and express true repentance for it. He’s a complete materialist; I see nothing of the spiritual in him.

[John123]

Doug's family said it best: "As the murderer, she's been given more rights and opportunity over the last 18 years than she ever afforded to Doug who, again, is the victim here. She had no mercy, gave him no rights, no choices, nor the opportunity to live his life. His life was not hers to take."

She cheated on him, planned the 1st degree murder [and admitted it] so she can keep the house and insurance money. And yet, there are apologists out there using reasons that don't matter.

Doug is the victim here... not the convicted murderer.

[henkster]

Pope needs to go reread Luke 23:39-43.

[lacrew]

I’d just like a little consistency. Even scumbags who don’t manage to escape justice are treated differently. My state (Kansas) has a dozen people on death row...yet has not executed anybody since 1965. So even a death sentence is unequally administered among different jurisdictions.

In one recent case, in a small county, the county commission had to authorize a sizeable property tax increase, in order to conduct a death penalty trial. He was convicted...and I’m quite sure he will die in prison in around 40 years. It leads to the question - why not do some plea deal for life in prison, and skip the expense of the trial?

Around 8 years ago, our state had to defend its death penalty statute at the SCOTUS level...and its been challenged again. All that uncertainty makes one thing very certain: nobody will be executed in Kansas for decades. I’m just astonished that there isn’t some model ordinance and model amendment to a state’s constitution that can be adopted, to bring more certainty to the process.

[buckalfa]

"A call from the WH to Governor Deal is in the making."

Naw. #whitelivesdontmatter.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

My thoughts as well.

[erkelly]

The church has apologized for the inquisition, for turning Jews over to the state to be executed. (The church itself did not execute anyone.)

[Repeal The 17th]

[Gritty]

Pope Francis, who called for a ban on the death penalty ...

It appears the Pope hasn't read his Bible lately. God Himself commanded;

"Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed;
For in the image of God
He made man."
- Genesis 9:6

On the other hand, maybe we ought to cut the Pope some slack. After all, it's hard to keep all that Global Warming Science straight along with the Bible, too!