The death penalty

K Chronicles
By Keith Knight





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Following up on recent stories

This radar image of asteroid 2005 YU55 taken on November 7
shows the space rock 3.6 lunar distances, which is about
860,000 miles, or 1.38 million kilometers, from Earth.
(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

In which I follow up on the latest death from the sky, a scheduled execution in Texas, and a new definition of personhood in Mississippi. 

By Linda Felaco

Another reason to be glad Rhode Island doesn't have the death penalty

The Allan B. Polunsky Unit, where Hank Skinner currently
sits on death row. He is scheduled to die on November 9
despite the fact that crucial evidence in his case has never
undergone DNA testing.

With all the sophisticated DNA technology available to today's forensic scientists, you'd think in a murder trial, especially one in which someone stands to be executed for the crime, that any and all biological evidence obtained from the crime scene would be tested, wouldn't you?

Well, in Texas, you'd be wrong.

By Linda Felaco

Jason Pleau will stay in Cranston—at least for the time being

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has
ruled in Governor Chafee's favor in the
Jason Pleau case.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled on October 13 that Governor Lincoln Chafee does not have to turn accused murderer Jason Pleau over to federal authorities so he can face the death penalty. Chafee has refused to turn over Pleau, citing Rhode Island's long-standing opposition to the death penalty. Rhode Island was one of the first states to abolish capital punishment, having completely abolished it for all crimes in 1852. Only seven of Rhode Island's 52 executions took place after statehood. The death penalty was last carried out in RI in 1845, before the Civil War.

The U.S. attorney's office is reviewing the ruling, and the case is expected to end up before the Supreme Court. Which may not be good news for Pleau given that the Supremes failed to stop the execution of Troy Davis, who proclaimed his innocence to the end, whereas Pleau has already admitted his guilt.

By Linda Felaco

Death in America

The Good Samaritan by Rembrandt (1630)

Death has been in the news a lot lately, it seems. Republicans have been cheering it on the campaign trail, and state governments have been disposing of high-profile death-penalty cases. Here in RI, our governor has been trying to prevent the feds from taking custody of a confessed murderer so they can seek the death penalty.

By Linda Felaco

Death in Georgia

Barring a last-minute pardon from either the governor of Georgia or President Obama, Troy Davis will die at 7 p.m. for a crime he may not have committed.


By Linda Felaco