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Convict to die for burglary-slaying - calls himself a "small town boy", "caring and considerate"
Associated Press ^ | January 30, 2003 | Associated Press Staff

Posted on 01/30/2003 7:05:54 AM PST by MeekOneGOP

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To: Tacis
"Oh well, so far this year, that's what, Texas -6, murders - 0."

Like I said on the last thread, "a good start."
21 posted on 01/30/2003 9:06:04 AM PST by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
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To: dighton
For 300 True Crime points, who was "the nicest boy in Wolcott" and what did he do?

Well, Google Search sez...

http://members.aol.com/kschessler/wizze.html


WOLCOTT, KANSAS - The local newspaper once wrote that Lowell Andrews was "The nicest boy in town." In 1958, Andrews, 18, an honor student and church goer, did anything but live up to it when he attempted to fulfill his secret dream of becoming a hired gun in Chicago. But because he needed money for the trip to Chicago, he decided to kill his sister and his parents and sell the farm. While his family watched TV, he entered the parlor and shot his sister between th eyes, his mother three times, and his father twice before reloading, since the first round failed to kill his parents. He confessed several days later. He was found guilty and hanged at Leavenworth Prison.

22 posted on 01/30/2003 9:09:11 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: dighton; aculeus; Poohbah; general_re

You know, I always wondered what happened to Opie ...

... well, I guess, now we know.

23 posted on 01/30/2003 9:10:20 AM PST by BlueLancer (Der Elite Møøsenspåånkængruppen ØberKømmååndø (EMØØK))
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To: Poohbah
LOL !
24 posted on 01/30/2003 9:11:05 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: MeeknMing
The 300 True Crime Points are yours.

For more about that nice young man, read In Cold Blood (near the end).

25 posted on 01/30/2003 9:17:26 AM PST by dighton
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To: MeeknMing
Allllllrighty then. 2 down and 1 to go for THIS WEEK

Turn out the lights... life is over for this loser.

26 posted on 01/30/2003 9:21:18 AM PST by Johnny Gage (God Bless America, God Bless President George Bush, and God Bless our Military!)
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To: MeeknMing
Wow, Texas is really on a roll. How many do they have scheduled this year?
27 posted on 01/30/2003 9:24:06 AM PST by LibWhacker
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To: MeeknMing
Let's see, He has a radio, a TV and access to a computer where he manages a website for prisoners to find penpals. Are we really sure he is in prison?
28 posted on 01/30/2003 9:48:39 AM PST by JimmyMc
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To: LibWhacker
Wow, Texas is really on a roll. How many do they have scheduled this year?

After January's batch, we have eleven SCHEDULED February through April. I think this is updated regularly.

There are 449 Offenders are Currently on Death Row.

29 posted on 01/30/2003 10:18:56 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: beachn4fun
And, I say again to all "Moratorium Advocates" lurking about, Look Ma, he's white!

I just noticed they have a breakdown by race/gender on the TDCJ link in my post #1, btw...

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Return to Death Row Page

Gender and Racial Statistics of Death Row Offenders

    Race

Female Male   Total
  White 4 141   145
50.0% 32.0%   32.3%
  Black 4 181   185
50.0% 41.0%   41.2%
  Hispanic 0 114   114
0.0% 25.4%   25.4%
  Other 0 5   5
0.0% 1.1%   1.1%
  TOTAL 8 441   449
100.0% 100.0%   100.0%

Last Updated:  January 24, 2003

30 posted on 01/30/2003 10:21:36 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: MeeknMing
Fire up old sparky.
31 posted on 01/30/2003 10:26:01 AM PST by lodwick
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To: MeeknMing
Thanks. I sure hope there are some Maryland government officials lurking about. They are the ones who need to see this.
32 posted on 01/30/2003 10:40:29 AM PST by beachn4fun (Bush Fan)
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To: Houmatt
They took the fun out of capital punishment when they got rid of the chair. Not only should they bring it back, they should put it on the American flag! Nothing symbolizes America better! Yee-haw!
33 posted on 01/30/2003 11:52:57 AM PST by Bob Quixote (Buzz buzz! Sizzle sizzle! Char char!)
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To: MeeknMing
"I'm just a normal small town boy," he says on an Internet Web site devoted to prisoners seeking pen pals. "I am caring and I am considerate."

"And if you don't believe me, I'LL KILL YOU!!"

34 posted on 01/30/2003 11:59:09 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: JeeperFreeper; beachn4fun; chiefqc; wjcsux; Tall_Texan; freedumb2003; Houmatt; Tacis; dighton; ...
Bu-bye, Granville...


Inmate executed for 1988 burglary-slaying

01/31/2003

Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Delivering his final statement in French and English, a burglar who authorities said began his career while in elementary school was executed Thursday for fatally bludgeoning an Amarillo man with a tire iron during a home burglary.

"I love all of you," Granville Riddle said, speaking first in French and then in English. "I have no grudges against anyone and I would like to say to the world I have always been a nice person.

"I've never been mean-hearted or cruel. I wish everybody well."

With his Swiss prison bride sobbing and murmuring in French as she watched through a window nearby, Riddle said, "Je t'aime." He then gasped and let out a long breath as the drugs began to take effect.

Also Online
Texas Executions: Coverage from TXCN.com
Offender profile: Granville Riddle
Related links
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Scheduled executions
Offenders on death row
He was pronounced dead nine minutes later at 6:17 p.m.

Riddle, 32, didn't deny his involvement in the Oct. 9, 1988, beating death of Ronnie Bennett, 39, but contended he hit Bennett more than a dozen times in self-defense.

Riddle was the sixth person to be executed in Texas this year and the third this week. Two more are scheduled for next week.

"I'm just a normal small town boy," Riddle, who declined to speak with reporters in the week's preceding his execution, said on an Internet Web site devoted to prisoners seeking pen pals. "I am caring and I am considerate."

His record disputed that.

"He's been a problem for law enforcement since he got old enough to even think about being a problem for law enforcement," said Randall Sims, an assistant district attorney in Potter County who indicated Riddle's first burglary was at age 8. "That's not good old country boys. That's prison material."

Besides numerous burglaries, including a church, school and a restaurant where his mother worked, he had arrests for drug possession and auto theft. In April 1988, he was sent to prison after getting a seven-year term for burglary but was paroled after just 21/2 months during a time when Texas was experiencing a prison bed shortage.

In November 1988, the then 19-year-old was indicted for capital murder for killing Bennett.

"It was one of the bloodiest crime scenes I've ever seen in 20 years," said Sims, who prosecuted the case. "The (victim's) skull looked like a volleyball that was a sponge, just holes everywhere."

Before arriving at death row, Riddle, from Stinnett, tried escaping from the county jail numerous times - succeeding once for three days. He also attempted to electrify his cell door with wires from his radio and television and was involved in several fights with other inmates.

Evidence at his trial showed Riddle and a friend drove to Bennett's home. He gave conflicting statements, saying he broke in by prying open a screen with the tire iron and later saying he found a door unlocked and went in that way. Evidence showed a kitchen window had been pried open.

Riddle testified Bennett, who he knew and who he described as drunk, made a sexual advance that angered him, so he responded by hitting the man some 15 times with the tire iron. But evidence showed Bennett at the time of the attack had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, enough to render him unconscious.

The friend, Brad Bybee, who was waiting outside, testified Riddle called him in, pointed out some items he could steal, then swung the lug wrench - blunt end first - at Bennett's head, leaving it buried in the dead man's skull.

Bybee reacted in horror and fled. Riddle panicked, grabbed the victim's wallet and drove off in the victim's truck, which was found burned the next day in a ravine near Borger, about 40 miles to the northeast. Bybee was picked up by police and fingered Riddle, who was arrested five days later.


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/0131dntexexecution.be68b.html

35 posted on 01/31/2003 4:32:58 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: MeeknMing
On a TV show tonight, the cop said that "a little kid who commits a crime is still just a criminal who will eventually grow into a big criminal. A criminal is a criminal. They're all the same to me." I thought of this guy as I watched that show.
36 posted on 01/31/2003 5:27:25 AM PST by JudyB1938
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To: MeeknMing
Clearly, it pays to be an "other" in our legal defense system. It's biased, I tell you... (/sarcasm)
37 posted on 01/31/2003 8:33:31 AM PST by Tall_Texan (Where liberals lead, misery follows.)
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