By all accounts — including his own — 36-year-old roofer Joe Gonzales was an evil human being who deserved to die. In 1992, in the state of Texas, Gonzales murdered a 50-year-old building contractor who supposedly owed him $200. Gonzales robbed the man and attempted to make his death look like a suicide. But it wasn&#8217;t a very convincing defense, because people who kill themselves normally don&#8217;t rob themselves after they do it. At trial, Gonzales told the jury, “I am a man who has no regard for the law. I am a man who has no regard for humanity.&#8221;
Within just twelve minutes, in November of 1995, the jury <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/19/us/on-death-row-10-months-man-is-executed.html">convicted</a> Gonzales and recommended the death penalty.
If you had to guess how long it took Joe Gonzales to actually be put to death, what would you say? What&#8217;s the approximate timeframe for how long you think Joe Gonzales sat on death row, before he was finally executed?
Maybe you&#8217;re thinking this is a trick question, and that the answer is: He was never actually executed, he&#8217;s still on death row, appealing the jury&#8217;s decision, to this day. That&#8217;s normally how death penalty cases go. We all know that. But in this case, surprisingly enough, Joe Gonzales was indeed put to death. And he was put to death very quickly, relatively speaking. Just ten months after the jury recommended the death penalty, in September of 1996, Joe Gonzales was executed by lethal injection. It was the fastest execution in U.S. history since Gary Gilmore was executed in Utah in 1977 by firing squad, just three months after he was convicted of two murders.
The reason both of these men were executed so quickly is that, unlike most death penalty defendants, they weren&#8217;t interested in dragging the process out. They didn&#8217;t have any interest in appealing their sentences. So they allowed the government to proceed with the executions, without undue delay. And the government obliged. Left to their own devices, without any frivolous appeals, states like Texas and Utah were able to dispense justice in a reasonable timeframe.
This is not ancient history. We&#8217;re not talking about executions in colonial New England, or anything like that. In modern America, it&#8217;s entirely possible to put violent criminals to death, promptly. One of the key steps we need to take, as these cases demonstrate, is to get rid of the idea that death penalty defendants are entitled to an automatic appeal. These appeals can take decades to resolve. They&#8217;re almost always unnecessary.
But ever since the 1970s, because of a Supreme Court decision, these appeals have been mandatory (unless the defendant waives them). As a result of this decision by the Supreme Court, the average time that inmates spend on death row has ballooned.
<div id="attachment_989217" style="width: 799px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989217" class="wp-image-989217 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row-789x576.jpg" alt="Source: Death Penalty Information Center" width="789" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row-789x576.jpg 789w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row-300x219.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row-768x560.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row-1360x994.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Chart-Death-Row.jpg 1362w" sizes=" (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px" />Source: Death Penalty Information Center</div>
In the 1980s, as you can see here, the average time spent on death row was around 74 months. Now it&#8217;s over 260.
So it didn&#8217;t take long, after the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in 1976, for everything to slow down. They introduced mandatory appeals, and now inmates are spending three times as long on death row.
<div id="attachment_989223" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989223" class="wp-image-989223 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Death-Penalty-age-769x576.jpg" alt="Source: Death Penalty Information Center" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Death-Penalty-age-769x576.jpg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Death-Penalty-age-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Death-Penalty-age-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Death-Penalty-age.jpg 1370w" sizes=" (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />Source: Death Penalty Information Center</div>
Along the same lines, as you&#8217;d expect, there&#8217;s also been a dramatic change in the average age of a defendant who&#8217;s executed on death row. In 1975, the average age was 36. In 1980, the average age was 24.
By 2005, the average age was up to 44. Now it&#8217;s over 50. In fact, more than 570 prisoners on death row are over the age of 60, as of 2019. Back in 1996, that number was just 39.
Some elderly prisoners — like Vernon Madison in Alabama — are spending so much time on death row that they&#8217;re developing dementia and having strokes, which makes them ineligible for the death penalty because they&#8217;re supposedly &#8220;incompetent to be executed.&#8221; Yes, that&#8217;s an actual category of inmate. You might argue that competence is kind of irrelevant for the death penalty. You don’t need to be competent. You don’t need to do anything but die. But this is the system we have now. Even if you were competent to stand trial, it&#8217;s possible for you to lose your mind on death row. And then you go back to general population, as a confused vegetable, while the victim&#8217;s family wonders when they&#8217;re going to get the justice they were promised. This is supposedly the &#8220;humane&#8221; solution, according to the Supreme Court. We need an absurd amount of appeals and bureaucratic wrangling, lasting years and years, before we can actually execute anyone.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1677-have-you-forgotten-about-iryna-zarutska-they-want-you-to-here-s-why"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Keep in mind, the Supreme Court made this decision in an era before advanced DNA evidence, modern ballistics techniques, or widespread video surveillance. The general sentiment, at the time, was that innocent people might be convicted and sent to death row. So therefore, because evidence wasn&#8217;t robust, we supposedly needed mandatory appeals, to make sure that innocent people weren&#8217;t executed.
But that&#8217;s not the case any more.
Most death penalty cases are similar to the murder of Iryna Zarutska.
It’s an important case, even amid all of the other things happening in the country. And we cannot forget what happened to her.
That’s why I want to give a brief update on the case and tell you what’s going on with it now. The answer, as we’ll see, is that nothing is going on. There is no update. No movement at all. And that’s the point.
Now, of course, there is no doubt whatsoever as to who is responsible for Iryna&#8217;s death. The killer in this case has more than a dozen prior arrests. He committed the crime on camera, as we all remember. In a just society, the man responsible — Decarlos Brown Jr. — would be given a speedy trial, under our Constitution, and then put to death.
That&#8217;s true even if you buy his defense, which is that he was &#8220;mentally ill&#8221; in some way. But really, the defense is nonsense. This is a surveillance photo from the light rail, a second or so after he stabbed and mortally wounded Iryna. It&#8217;s the photo you&#8217;ve probably seen many times before.
<div id="attachment_989213" style="width: 585px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989213" class="size-large wp-image-989213" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2-575x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Surveillance video, Charlotte Area Transit System" width="575" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2-575x576.jpg 575w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2-768x769.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Char2.jpg 1070w" sizes=" (max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px" />Screenshot: Surveillance video, Charlotte Area Transit System</div>
It&#8217;s obvious that Decarlos Brown went out of his way to target a defenseless woman who wasn&#8217;t even looking at him. He sat in wait for his victim. After he killed her, he said something along the lines of, &#8220;I got that white girl.&#8221; And then, as this surveillance footage from the train station, which was just released, demonstrates, he changed his clothing.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Watch: Video shows Iryna Zarutska’s accused killer being arrested at Charlotte light rail station" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GcCtpUL9hrs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: WBTV News/Charlotte/YouTube.com
This is the footage of the arrest of Decarlos Brown. The officers swarm him pretty quickly. But as you can see, he&#8217;s not wearing the red clothing anymore. He&#8217;s carrying his sweatshirt. So it looks a lot like he understood that he had just killed someone, and wanted to avoid detection.
Whether he &#8220;heard voices&#8221; or not, or whether he has &#8220;impulse control issues&#8221; or not, it doesn&#8217;t matter. Someone who decides to murder an innocent woman, for any reason, forfeits his right to live. And that&#8217;s clearly what happened here.
But because our death penalty system is a bureaucratic morass, Decarlos Brown will not be executed anytime soon.
This is the latest reporting from a <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2025/10/15/hearing-determine-if-north-carolina-will-pursue-death-penalty-alleged-light-rail-killer-delayed/">local news station</a> in North Carolina. Here’s what’s happening with his case right now.
<blockquote>The man accused of killing a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte light rail almost two months ago was scheduled to have a crucial court hearing on Thursday. Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of killing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska back in late August, was scheduled to have a Rule 24 court hearing on Thursday, Oct. 16. A Rule 24 hearing is for the state to determine whether or not they would pursue the death penalty. Court documents said that the hearing has now been pushed back until April 2026. The decision to delay the hearing came from Brown and his attorney, Daniel Roberts. However, the reason for the delay was redacted, according to court documents.</blockquote>
So there&#8217;s going to be a &#8220;hearing&#8221; to &#8220;determine whether or not&#8221; the state will &#8220;pursue the death penalty&#8221; — as if there&#8217;s any doubt that they should. Decarlos Brown should&#8217;ve been put down somewhere after his 10th conviction. And he certainly should be executed now. But this hearing won&#8217;t take place until April of next year.
Of course, the best part of all is that you don&#8217;t even get to know why the hearing was delayed. You get no information whatsoever. All you can be sure of, at this point, is that the trial isn&#8217;t going to take place for a very long time — if it occurs at all. Even in a case where the defendant&#8217;s guilt is obvious to everyone in the entire country, we&#8217;re told to put up with endless delays, for no reason.
These delays are downstream from that Supreme Court decision in the 1970s. And that Supreme Court decision was downstream of the belief — which is false — that innocent defendants are sent to death row all the time. That wasn&#8217;t true in the 1970s. And it&#8217;s certainly not true anymore. We don&#8217;t need a neurotic number of hearings and appeals to determine the fate of animals like Decarlos Brown. The evidence is overwhelming. And it&#8217;s overwhelming in every other death row case, as well.
So why haven&#8217;t any states attempted to bypass this Supreme Court decision, with lawsuits or new legislation? Why haven&#8217;t we seen legal challenges to this absurd framework that essentially renders the death penalty moot? Why don&#8217;t states say, actually, we don&#8217;t need mandatory appeals anymore, or endless hearings. We can just hold a trial, present the overwhelming evidence, and then get on with the execution. There&#8217;s certainly no constitutional basis for making the death penalty effectively impossible to enforce. On the contrary, the Founders approved of the death penalty — explicitly, in many cases. So why don&#8217;t we see any legal challenges on this point?
The only explanation that makes sense is that — in the case of Decarlos Brown, and every other case like his — the people in charge of the state government want us to forget what happened. They want the outrage to subside, which it usually does. And then they can get away with giving as lenient a sentence as possible. That&#8217;s what the mayor of Charlotte clearly wants. Remember, she put out a statement saying we should feel sympathy for people like Decarlos Brown, and attacked anyone who shared the footage of Iryna&#8217;s murder. She doesn&#8217;t want Decarlos Brown to be executed. If she can arrange it, she wants him out on the streets, as soon as possible, so he can terrorize more innocent women.
And it&#8217;s not crazy to think the mayor of Charlotte might accomplish that goal. Just a week ago, we covered the case of a convicted child killer who managed to get out of prison in less than a decade. Fortunately, in the case of Decarlos Brown, there are federal charges as well — and those charges are also death-eligible. But that prosecution — and any potential conviction — could be undone by a future Democrat administration. And at this point, particularly if Decarlos Brown isn&#8217;t executed, that outcome seems like a distinct possibility. But it shouldn&#8217;t be possible. The right to a speedy trial doesn&#8217;t just apply for the benefit of the defendant. It also applies for the benefit of society at large. We have a constitutional right to see violent criminals punished, swiftly, to the fullest extent of the law.
Every once in a while, over the past month or so, I&#8217;ve come across a post on X with that picture of Iryna, along with a message like &#8220;We haven&#8217;t forgotten you,&#8221; or something along those lines. I hope that&#8217;s true. But as months turn into years, inevitably, people will become distracted. There will be more violence and chaos and tragedy — Democrats will make sure of that. And it will be easy, despite our best efforts, to forget what happened to Iryna. That&#8217;s what they want us to do. That was the whole point of the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in the 1970s, and all the state laws that followed. Now&#8217;s the time for those laws to change. And it&#8217;s time for Iryna Zarutska&#8217;s killer to receive a fair trial, and then a speedy execution in a matter of weeks, if not days — which is, admittedly, a far more dignified death than he deserves. But under our Constitution and our common law tradition on the death penalty, which has been ignored since the 1970s, it&#8217;s the fate that Decarlos Brown should receive.
* * *
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

MixCollage-08-Sep-2025-02-31-PM-2293

Have You Forgotten About Iryna Zarutska? They Want You To. Here’s Why. 

Charlotte

Criminal Justice

Death Penalty

Iryna Zarutska

Matt Walsh

Murder

Opinion

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray revealed on Tuesday that suspected Charlie Kirk assassin, Tyler Robinson, faces seven charges, including a count of aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
At a press conference announcing the charges, Gray added that he would file a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, saying that the decision is based &#8220;on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.&#8221; The attorney said that the suspected assassin leaned more into leftist politics in the past year and targeted Kirk over his political expression.
Robinson is charged with one count of aggravated murder &#8220;for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Charlie Kirk under circumstances that created a great risk of death to others.&#8221; The second count is felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
&#8220;The state is further alleging aggravating factors on counts one and two because the defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk&#8217;s political expression and did so knowing that children were present and would witness the homicide,&#8221; Gray said.
Count three is obstruction of justice &#8220;for moving and concealing the rifle used in the shooting.&#8221; Count four is another obstruction of justice charge &#8220;for disposing the clothing he wore during the shooting.&#8221; Counts five and six are witness tampering &#8220;for directing his roommate to delete his incriminating texts&#8221; and &#8220;for directing his roommate to stay silent if police questioned him.&#8221; The final count is commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child &#8220;for committing homicide knowing that children were present and may have seen or heard the murder and did so based on Charlie Kirk&#8217;s political expression.&#8221;
Robinson&#8217;s mother told investigators that her son became more political and Left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views, according to Gray. Robinson was also dating his roommate, a man who identified as a woman and is in the process of &#8220;transitioning,&#8221; the attorney added, citing comments Robinson&#8217;s mother made to authorities.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨BREAKING: Utah County Attorney DESTROYS the narrative that Charlie Kirk&#8217;s suspected assassin held right-wing political views:
&#8220;Robinson&#8217;s mother explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political, and started to lean more to the Left, becoming more… <a href="https://t.co/T5OnFcQk1a">pic.twitter.com/T5OnFcQk1a</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1968030776211206494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gray said that Robinson&#8217;s political shift to the Left and his decision to date his trans-identifying roommate led to multiple conversations with his father &#8220;who had very different political views.&#8221;
Robinson allegedly texted his roommate after the assassination and told him look under a keyboard. The roommate found a note under the keyboard, which stated, &#8220;I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I&#8217;m going to take it,&#8221; according to Gray. The attorney added that text messages sent between Robinson and his roommate revealed that Robinson stated that he targeted Kirk because he &#8220;had enough&#8221; of Kirk&#8217;s &#8220;hatred,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Some hatred can&#8217;t be negotiated out.&#8221; In another text message, Robinson allegedly said that he had been planning the assassination for a week.
Robinson asked his roommate to avoid speaking to the media or police, and urged him to &#8220;ask for a lawyer and stay silent,&#8221; Gray said.

Jeff Gray / Tyler Robinson Mugshot

Prosecutors Reveal Charges Against Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin, Will Seek Death Penalty

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Crime

U.S.

Utah

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning that the repeat offender accused of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska to death on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, should be executed.
Trump referred to 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. as an &#8220;ANIMAL,&#8221; who &#8220;violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine.&#8221; Brown was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-light-rail-attacker-federal-crime">charged</a> by the Justice Department with a federal crime on Tuesday in connection with the gruesome stabbing that was caught on camera.
&#8220;The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a &#8216;Quick&#8217; (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115180060678818221">posted</a> on Truth Social.
The DOJ charged Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. The federal charge makes Brown eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the feds &#8220;will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
Video footage of the deadly stabbing, which occurred in August, shows Brown standing up behind the young woman while holding a knife before plunging the weapon into Zarutska three times, with at least one stab to the neck. The man then walks toward the door of the train, with blood dripping off the knife.
The full video footage of the killing, which was released on Tuesday, showed Zarutska looking up in shock after being stabbed before she slumped to the floor, and blood pooled around her.
Brown has a long criminal rap sheet, with 14 previous arrests for offenses such as armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fatal-charlotte-stabbing-highlights-the-failure-of-racial-equity-policies">reported</a>. He served five years for the armed robbery, but he avoided jail time after most of his other arrests. Last year, Brown had run-ins with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on at least three separate occasions, receiving referrals to resources and fines instead of jail time.
Trump has blasted Democratic policies following the fatal stabbing, saying that Zarutska&#8217;s blood &#8220;is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.&#8221; The president has also criticized the legacy media over its lack of coverage of the killing. Some outlets, such as <a href="https://x.com/axios/status/1965010353353625669">Axios</a> and <a href="https://x.com/politico/status/1965218281830174835">POLITICO</a>, have focused on covering the Republican outrage instead of the stabbing itself or Brown&#8217;s criminal record.
“North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy?” Trump added.

Donald Trump/Iryna Zarutska killing

Trump Calls For ‘Quick’ Trial And Death Penalty For ‘Animal’ Who Killed Ukrainian Refugee

Death

Donald Trump

North Carolina

Stabbing

U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced on Thursday that the government is weighing seeking the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim earlier this year.
“This begins the statutory process of whether to seek the death penalty,” Pirro said. “This is a weighty decision. It takes time.”
Pirro said Attorney General Pam Bondi will decide whether to seek the death penalty after getting advice from a special unit that reviews such cases.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 U.S. Attorney <a href="https://twitter.com/JudgeJeanine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudgeJeanine</a> Pirro unseals a 9-count indictment against Elias Rodriguez for the heinous murders of two Israeli Embassy staff outside D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum. <a href="https://t.co/YQSMoVzJdr">pic.twitter.com/YQSMoVzJdr</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1953481283612414175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 28, were allegedly shot and killed by Elias outside of an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May. Lischinsky was a German-Israeli dual citizen and devout evangelical Christian. He immigrated to Israel at 16, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and began working as a political analyst at the embassy in 2022.
He was planning to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-family-react-to-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-by-keffiyeh-wearing-terrorist">propose</a> to Milgrim, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a full-time employee at the embassy’s Department of Public Diplomacy.
Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago, was detained by police and shouted “Free Palestine,” according to law enforcement and a viral video of him in custody. He allegedly told a police officer near the scene that he “did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.” He also pre-scheduled his “explication” to be published on his X account, where he advocated for violence against Israelis.
“This Justice Department will not tolerate violence motivated by hatred of faith or national origin, and we will enforce our federal civil rights laws accordingly,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.
According to the DOJ, Rodriguez fired approximately 20 shots at Lischinsky and Milgrim.
Pirro unsealed a nine-count indictment against Rodriguez, including two new counts of committing a hate crime and two counts of assault with intent to kill. Rodriguez was previously charged on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charges-revealed-in-d-c-terror-attack-shooter-did-it-for-palestine-fbi-says">May 22</a> with the murder of a foreign official, firearm offenses, and first-degree murder.
“This office will leave no stone unturned in its effort to bring justice to the innocent victims of Elias Rodriguez,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The hate charges shed further light on his evil intent in the killing of innocent victims.”
&nbsp;

Milgrim and Lichinsky

Death Penalty On The Table For Killer Of Israeli Embassy Staffers

antisemitism

Hate Crime

Israel

Jeanine Pirro

Washington DC

A Tennessee man who savagely shot to death his girlfriend and her six- and nine-year-old daughters in 1988 and was later condemned to death was executed on Tuesday. The headlines centered around critics of the execution who pointed to the fact that the state had refused to deactivate his implanted defibrillator, causing him pain while he was dying.
Before Byron Black, 69, executed his girlfriend, Angela Clay, 29, and her daughters, Latoya, 9, and Lakeisha, 6, he had been involved in a dispute with Clay’s husband, Bennie, from whom she was separated. Black shot Bennie Clay in the shoulder and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with work release permitted. When he was temporarily released, Black entered Angela’s Nashville dwelling on March 28, 1988.
Court records show that Black executed the family from point-blank range. Justia <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/supreme-court/1991/815-s-w-2d-166-2.html">summarizes</a> the findings below:
<blockquote>
Investigation revealed the bodies of Angela and her nine year old daughter, Latoya, in the master bedroom. Angela, who was lying in the bed, had apparently been shot once in the top of the head as she slept and was rendered unconscious immediately and died within minutes. Dr. Charles Harlan, Chief Medical Examiner for Davidson County, testified that she was probably shot from a distance of six to twelve inches and that her gunshot wound was the type usually caused by a large caliber bullet.
Latoya&#8217;s body was found partially on the bed and partially off the bed, wedged between the bed and a chest of drawers. She had been shot once through the neck and chest. Blood on her pillow and a bullet hole in the bedding indicated she had been lying on the bed when shot. Dr. Harlan testified that she was shot from a distance of greater than twenty-four inches from the skin surface. The bullet path and type of shot indicated that death was not instantaneous but likely occurred within three to ten minutes after her being shot. Bullet fragments were recovered from her left lung. Both victims were under the bedcovers when they were shot.
The body of Lakeisha, age six, was found in the second bedroom lying facedown on the floor next to her bed. She had been shot twice, once in the chest, once in the pelvic area. Dr. Harlan testified that she had died from bleeding as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest. She was shot from a distance of six to twelve inches and died within five to thirty minutes after being shot. Abrasions on her arm indicated a bullet had grazed her as she sought to protect herself from the attacker. Bullet holes and blood stains on the bed indicated that she was lying in bed when shot and had moved from the bed to the floor after being shot. There were bloody finger marks down the rail running from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed.
</blockquote>
But the headlines focused on the legal battle fought over the execution of Black, after a judge ruled in July that his cardioverter-defibrillator should be deactivated to avoid causing him prolonged pain when he received a lethal injection of pentobarbital.
On July 31, the Tennessee Supreme Court vacated a preliminary injunction that required the Tennessee Department of Corrections to deactivate Black’s cardioverter-defibrillator. Black’s attorneys filed requests for a stay of execution with the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming, among other contentions, that Black was at risk of a ​“prolonged” and ​“torturous” death. The Supreme Court denied all the stay applications on August 4.
“This is hurting so bad,” Black <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/08/05/tennessee-execution-byron-black-heart-device-angela-clay/85523148007/">moaned</a> as he was dying, according to USA Today.
“The fact that he was able to raise his head several times and express pain tells you that the pentobarbital was not acting the way that state’s experts claim it acts,” Black’s attorney Kelley Henry stated, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/tennessee-execute-inmate">adding</a>, “the state of Tennessee killed a gentle, kind, fragile, intellectually disabled man in a violation of the laws of our country simply because they could. No one in a position of power, certainly not the courts, was willing to stop them. What happened here was the result of pure, unbridled bloodlust and cowardice. It was the brutal and unchecked abuse of government power.”
“Henry had earlier unsuccessfully argued that Black shouldn’t be put to death due to his apparent intellectual disability,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/05/us-news/tennessee-death-row-inmate-byron-black-cries-out-in-pain-during-lethal-injection-after-state-refused-to-deactivate-defibrillator-implant/">reported</a>.
The victim’s family says Black never apologized for his murders, and will take them to the grave with him.
“His family is now going through the same thing we went through 37 years ago,” Clay’s sister, Linette Bell, said after the execution. “I can’t say I’m sorry because we never got an apology. He never apologized, and he never admitted it, even on his dying bed … He took it to his grave with him, and he knows he did it.”

untitled_design__2__720

Vicious Killer Of Mother, Young Daughters Executed. Critics Say Death Caused Him Unnecessary Pain.

murders

Tennessee

Prosecutors say Luigi Mangione kept diaries chronicling in chilling detail his plans to assassinate UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and revealing he backed off of a mass-casualty attack he had initially conceived.
The self-proclaimed anti-capitalist wrote in his manifesto that he chose to &#8220;wack the CEO&#8221; rather than bomb the UnitedHealthcare headquarters because he believed it would generate better headlines and be less likely to be deemed &#8220;terrorism,&#8221; according to court documents <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/luigi-mangione-da-omnibus-response.pdf">revealed</a> this week.
&#8220;So say you want to rebel against the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel. Do you bomb the HQ? No. Bombs=terrorism,&#8221; Mangione allegedly wrote in a red spiral notebook found in his backpack upon his arrest five days after the shooting.
Manhattan prosecutors are confident that this is “open and shut case,” pointing to evidence continuing to pile up indicating that Mangione’s goal was “to send a message.”
In parts of the diaries that had been previously <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/nyregion/luigi-mangione-manifesto.html">released</a>, Mangione reasoned that someone should &#8220;wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention. It&#8217;s targeted and precise and doesn&#8217;t risk innocents.&#8221;
The University of Pennsylvania graduate justified targeting insurance providers because they &#8220;literally extract human life force for money,&#8221; and seemed fixated on how his actions would be perceived by the public, adding that &#8220;the point is made in the news headline &#8216;Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference.&#8217; It conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming.&#8221;
Mangione expressed relief that he had not followed through with a mass-casualty event, allegedly writing, &#8220;I’m glad — in a way — that I’ve procrastinated [because] it allowed me to learn more about UHC.&#8221;
“KMD would’ve been an unjustified catastrophe that would be perceived mostly as sick, but more importantly unhelpful,” Magione allegedly wrote of a potential attack in his home state of Maryland.
The accused assassin reportedly came to this conclusion by analyzing the public reaction to Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber.
&#8220;Ted K makes some good points on the future of humanity, but to make his point he indiscriminately mailbombs innocents. Normies categorize him as an insane serial killer, focus on the act/atrocities themselves, and dismiss his ideas,” Mangione wrote, apparently having a desire for his act of violence to be as palatable as possible for &#8220;normies&#8221; to get behind.
The filing adds that authorities found a note, which has been previously reported on, in Mangione&#8217;s possession during his arrest at a McDonald&#8217;s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, addressed to federal investigators.
&#8220;To the Feds, I&#8217;ll keep this short because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly I wasn&#8217;t working with anyone,&#8221; Mangione wrote, describing his attack as &#8220;fairly trivial,&#8221; involving &#8220;some elementary social engineering, basic [computer aided design], and a lot of patience.&#8221;
The note continued with an unapologetic justification: &#8220;I do apologize for any strife or trauma, but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming,&#8221; then launching into a sanctimonious rant about the state of health care in America.
“If ever there were an open and shut case pointing to a defendant’s guilt, this case is that case. Simply put, one would be hard pressed to find a case with such overwhelming evidence of guilt as to the identity of the murderer and the premeditated nature of the assassination,” prosecutors wrote regarding the entries.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that even disregarding the mountains of physical evidence presented in Wednesday&#8217;s filing, the prosecution still would have enough to convict Mangione on the terrorism count.
“The shooting itself speaks volumes of the defendant’s intent. Defendant chose to shoot the CEO of the United States’ largest health insurance company in front of the hotel where the company was about to conduct its annual investor conference,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote in the filing.
Mangione, 27, faces both state and federal murder and terrorism charges in connection with the shooting death of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, leading to a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest in Pennsylvania. Mangione has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-pleads-not-guilty-as-doj-seeks-death-penalty?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Luigi+Mangione+Pleads+Not+Guilty+As+DOJ+Seeks+Death+Penalty">pleaded</a> not guilty on all charges.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
According to authorities, Mangione <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione">murdered</a> Thompson, a father of two young children, in a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” as an act of “political violence.”
On the federal level, Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/us/luigi-mangione-federal-charges/index.html">announced</a> in late May that the DOJ intends to pursue the death penalty in the Mangione case.
Mangione&#8217;s attorneys have moved to exclude his writings from the court record, arguing their client wasn&#8217;t afforded his constitutional rights when arrested.
Prosecutors responded, agreeing to pre-trial hearings on the admissibility of the evidence, including the red spiral notebook and statements made to police officers.
Mangione is scheduled to appear in court for his state charges on June 26.

Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione’s Chilling Diaries Revealed In Court: ‘Parasites Simply Had It Coming’

Alvin Bragg

Department of Justice

New York

News

UnitedHealthcare

Luigi Mangione, who faces federal murder charges after the December shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Friday.
Mangione appeared in Manhattan federal court in a prison jumpsuit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, entering not guilty pleas to charges of murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the DOJ intends to pursue the death penalty in the case, causing Mangione&#8217;s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, to request that the court prioritize starting his federal trial before his state cases in New York and Pennsylvania, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/us/luigi-mangione-federal-charges/index.html">reported</a>.
According to authorities, Mangione “<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione">murdered</a>” Thompson, a father of two young children, in a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” as an act of “political violence.”
Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, leading to a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione&#8217;s arrest in Pennsylvania, more than 270 miles from the shooting scene.
At the time of his arrest, Mangione possessed “fake ID used by the suspect, the gun they believe was used in the shooting and a handwritten ‘claim of responsibility,’ authorities have said,” according to CNN.
Mangione&#8217;s targeting of Thompson appears meticulously planned, according to the DOJ, and three 9mm shell casings recovered from the crime scene had the words &#8220;delay,&#8221; &#8220;deny,&#8221; and &#8220;depose&#8221; written on them, an apparent reference to a 2010 book criticizing insurance industry tactics, according to the NYPD.
The case has sparked considerable public attention, with supporters of Mangione gathering outside the courthouse Friday, some wearing green, referencing Nintendo&#8217;s &#8220;Luigi&#8221; character, and holding banners with messages like &#8220;Luigi Before Fascists&#8221; and &#8220;Stop the Violence: End the Death Penalty Now.&#8221;
Chelsea Manning, the former Army soldier convicted of violating the Espionage Act after leaking documents to WikiLeaks, has appeared at multiple hearings in support of Mangione.
Many people, according to CNN, seem to be channeling their frustration with the health care system through Mangione, with some going as far as calling him a vigilante.
A legal defense fund in Mangione&#8217;s name has raised more than $950,000 from supporters.
Mainstream politicians have condemned Mangione&#8217;s alleged actions. &#8220;In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,&#8221; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the day Mangione was arrested, adding, &#8220;He is no hero.&#8221;
Judge Margaret Garnett scheduled Mangione&#8217;s next federal hearing for December 5, when a trial date will be set. She indicated she expects the trial to begin in 2026.

Insurance CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Is Extradicted To New York

Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty As DOJ Seeks Death Penalty

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Pam Bondi

On Thursday, Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on December 4, was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/us/luigi-mangione-indicted-federal-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> in federal court on a charge of murder, which could permit him to be executed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said earlier this month that the Department of Justice would seek the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ag-directs-federal-prosecutors-to-seek-death-penalty-for-luigi-mangione" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death penalty</a> for Mangione.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” she <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
“As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024,” the DOJ declared. “The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.&#8221;
&#8220;Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case,&#8221; the DOJ added.
The homemade gun that Mangione carried when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, matched shell casings found at the crime scene, according to authorities. In addition, investigators said that Mangione’s fingerprints matched the ones investigators found on items near the scene.
“First, we got the gun in question back from Pennsylvania. It’s now at the NYPD crime lab,” NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/11/us/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooter-wednesday/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We were able to match that gun to the three shell casings that we found in Midtown at the scene of the homicide. We’re also at the crime lab able to match the person of interest’s fingerprints with fingerprints that we found on both the water bottle and the KIND bar near the scene of the homicide in midtown.”
When he was captured, Mangione had in his possession a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/nyregion/luigi-mangione-assassination-plan-notebook.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notebook</a> that described Thompson’s assassination, which occurred as Thompson, a father of two sons, was en route to the UnitedHealth Group&#8217;s Investors Conference. One passage in the notebook mentioned taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.”
“It’s targeted, precise, and doesn’t risk innocents,” Mangione allegedly wrote in the notebook, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/11/us/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooter-wednesday/index.html">reported</a>. Police also recovered a manifesto where Mangione allegedly called out “United,” adding, “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.”
The charges indicting Mangione include one count of murder with a firearm, another firearms offense, and two counts of stalking. The charge of murder through the use of a firearm has a maximum sentence of death if Mangione is convicted. The state of Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested, has also brought charges against Mangione. He was caught at a McDonald&#8217;s in Altoona after police spent nearly a week searching for him.
Mangione was celebrated by some; the audience at a Saturday Night Live show, roughly two weeks after Thompson’s death, cheered when his name was mentioned.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
SNL Weekend Update mentions CEO kiIIer Luigi Mangione and the crowd applauds &amp; cheers <a href="https://t.co/Hn6k2kTBp2">pic.twitter.com/Hn6k2kTBp2</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1870707787157959091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the week after Thompson’s murder, “wanted” posters were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wanted-posters-threats-mangione-arrest-unitedhealthcare-rcna183867" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plastered</a> in Manhattan showing photos of the CEOs of at least two health insurance companies.

Luigi Mangione Indicted On Federal Charge Of Murder, Making Him Eligible For Death Penalty

Brian Thompson

Pennsylvania

Three men found guilty of murdering Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan last year were unanimously sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, state news agency <a href="https://www.wam.ae/a/bixy0yf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WAM reported</a>.
Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals&#8217; State Security Chamber found the defendants guilty of premeditated murder with terrorist intention. A fourth defendant was sentenced to life in prison.
Olimpi Toirovich, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, and Azizbek Kamlovich, who are citizens of Uzbekistan, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-uzbeks-arrested-in-uae-over-killing-of-chabad-rabbi-zvi-kogan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were arrested</a> for the act last year. It is not clear if all three of them were sentenced to death, or if one was the individual sentenced to life in prison.
Firing squad is the sole method of execution in the UAE.
Investigations by the state security prosecution revealed the convicts tracked Kogan before murdering him. Evidence during the trial included detailed confessions, forensic and autopsy reports, post-mortem examination findings, tools used in the crime, and witness testimonies, WAM reported.
Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi reportedly said the ruling “embodies the UAE&#8217;s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in accordance with the highest standards of justice and the rule of law, and to providing fair trial guarantees.”
Capital punishment sentences are reportedly automatically subject to appeal under UAE law and are referred to the Criminal Division of the Federal Supreme Court.
Kogan, 28, a Moldovan and Israeli citizen, was last seen alive in Dubai before his body was discovered in Al Ain, a city near the Oman border approximately 90 minutes from Dubai.
Kogan worked as an emissary for the Jewish group Chabad, helping to support religious life for Jewish visitors and residents. He worked with the Chabad in Abu Dhabi and ran a kosher grocery store in Dubai.
The UAE has had a spike in Jewish and Israeli visitors since the establishment of formal ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020. The act of suspected terrorism may have been targeted at threatening the stability of the Abraham Accords.
The White House National Security Council under the Biden administration said at the time that the murder was a crime against supporters of peace.
“This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence,” <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-830567" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sean Savett, a spokesman for the council. “It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the murder an anti-Semitic terrorist attack and said that the Jewish state will seek justice against those who dispatched the three men.
“This murder of an Israeli citizen and a Chabad emissary, is an abhorrent antisemitic terrorist attack,” Netanyahu said. “The State of Israel will use all means, and will deal with these murderers, and those who dispatched them, to the fullest extent of the law. None of them will get away.”
Almost a million dollars <a href="https://raisethon.com/zvi?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZfyckSvSjP40Xo9gPAgQXY3093pbsI-0KFxqj2zpHRadhwFygAOYTjoXM_aem_ilu3ZGyWKu8EUuBPp8JMNg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was raised</a> to support Kogan’s widow, who is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg. Holtzberg and his wife, Rikvah, were murdered by Islamic terrorists in Mumbai in 2008.

Uzbek Suspects

UAE Court Sentences Three Terrorists To Death For Premeditated Murder Of Rabbi

Anti-Semitism

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Murder might get you the death penalty in Los Angeles.
Lost Angeles County&#8217; new district attorney, Nathan Hochman ended his progressive predecessor&#8217;s blanket ban on capital punishment this week.
&#8220;Effective immediately, the prior administration’s extreme and categorical policy forbidding prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in any case is rescinded,&#8221; the Los Angeles County District Attorney&#8217;s Office <a href="https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/da-hochman-announces-important-policy-changes-prosecutions-murders-special-circumstances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Tuesday in a news release.
Under California law, prosecutors may only seek the death penalty for murder with special circumstances, which can include multiple homicides, murder of a police officer, or murder of a witness to another crime.
Prosecutors should seek the death penalty &#8220;only after an extensive and comprehensive review and only in exceedingly rare cases,&#8221; and it should be &#8220;restricted to the most egregious sets of circumstances&#8221; the Los Angeles County District Attorney&#8217;s office said.
The only other possible sentence for murder with special circumstances is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“I remain unwaveringly committed to the comprehensive and thorough evaluation of every special circumstance murder case prosecuted in Los Angeles County, in consultation with the murder victim’s survivors and with full input on the mitigating and aggravating factors of each case, to ensure that the punishment sought by the Office is just, fair, fitting, and appropriate,” Hochman said in a statement.
However, the new death penalty policy may not have any practical effect yet since Governor Gavin Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/03/13/governor-gavin-newsom-orders-a-halt-to-the-death-penalty-in-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placed</a> a moratorium on all executions back in 2019 and closed the state&#8217;s main execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison.
Hochman, a former federal prosecutor campaigned on reinstating the death penalty when he ran for district attorney last year, even <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-22/los-angeles-district-attorney-2024-election-candidates-george-gascon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comparing</a> Los Angeles to “Gotham City” with its “rampant crime.”
Hochman defeated his progressive predecessor, George Gascon, in a landslide in November. Gascon was previously the subject of two recall attempts, but both efforts failed to make the ballot.
Gascon was criticized as soft on crime amid rising crime in Los Angeles County. Critics <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/los-angeles-deputy-da-gascon-creating-ticking-time-bomb-releasing-murderers-back-on-streets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> to cases where violent criminals, including murder convicts, were released onto the streets.
Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia criticized the new death penalty policy, calling it a &#8220;step backward&#8221; and saying the death penalty is &#8220;a cruel and irreversible punishment that is racially biased, and ineffective as a deterrent.&#8221;
California has <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/capital-punishment/condemned-inmate-list-secure-request/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly</a> 600 inmates on death row, the most of any state, but it has not executed anyone since 2006.
More than half of U.S. states still <a href="https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> the death penalty, although 23 states have abolished it.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-CRIME-JUSTICE-MENENDEZ

The Death Penalty Is Back In Los Angeles

California

Los Angeles

On Tuesday, his last day in office, North Carolina Democrat Governor Roy Cooper, emulating President Joe Biden, commuted the sentences of 15 men on death row to life imprisonment.
Cooper was succeeded by Democrat Josh Stein on Wednesday. Last week, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 of 40 inmates on federal death row.
“These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a Governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose,” Cooper said in a <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/12/31/governor-cooper-takes-capital-clemency-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
“Before today’s commutations, North Carolina had 136 offenders on death row and the Governor’s Clemency Office received petitions for clemency from 89 of them. The Governor’s Office carefully reviewed, researched, and considered these 89 petitions for commutations, which included the 15 that were granted today,” the statement concluded.
Cooper listed factors that influenced his decision, including:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Facts and circumstances of the crime</li>
<li>Whether a murder was particularly heinous and cruel</li>
<li>Input from prosecutors in the county of conviction</li>
<li>Input from family members of victims</li>
<li>Defendant’s criminal history</li>
<li>Defendant’s conduct and activity in prison</li>
<li>Mental and intellectual capacity of the defendant at the time of the crime</li>
<li>Credible claims of innocence</li>
<li>The potential influence of race, such as the race of the defendant and victim, composition of the jury pool and the final jury, and evidence and testimony offered at trial</li>
<li>Sentences received by co-defendants</li>
<li>Whether plea agreements for a lesser sentence were offered prior to trial</li>
<li>Age of defendant at the time of the crime</li>
<li>Current age, health, and mental capacity of the defendant</li>
<li>Adequacy of legal representation at trial and on appeal</li>
<li>Laws governing capital punishment at the time of conviction</li>
<li>Juror actions and statements</li>
</ul>
“State Department of Adult Correction records list 13 of the 15 receiving clemency as Black,” NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/31/g-s1-40663/north-carolina-governor-roy-cooper-commutes-death-row-sentences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.

ABC News Hosts Second Presidential Debate

NC Dem Governor Commutes 15 Death Sentences On Last Day In Office

Death Row

Joe Biden

Politics

Roy Cooper

President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty for &#8220;violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.&#8221;
Trump made the promise in response to President Joe Biden commuting the sentences of 37 convicted murderers on Monday. The president-elect previously blasted Biden for commuting the killers&#8217; sentences, saying that it &#8220;makes no sense.&#8221;
&#8220;As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters. We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113708422880476904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Among those whose sentences were commuted by Biden was a man who sexually assaulted and stabbed two young girls to death north of Chicago in 2005. Four years later, the killer struck again and strangled a 20-year-old officer to death in her barrack, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/23/us-news/biden-commutes-death-sentences-of-child-killers-and-mass-murderers-2-days-before-christmas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Another man who received clemency from Biden was convicted of killing a woman and then kidnapping her 12-year-old daughter and shooting her to death in 2010.
Only three convicted killers on death row did not have their sentences commuted by Biden: the Boston Marathon bomber, the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooter, and the man who murdered nine people at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden said on Monday. “Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/">50% OFF ALL DAILY WIRE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR A LIMITED TIME!</a>
“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” he added.
While running for the presidency in 2020, Biden promised to abolish the federal death penalty, and the Department of Justice has not executed anyone on death row since Biden was sworn into office. The Trump administration, on the other hand, carried out <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 executions</a> during Trump&#8217;s four years in office.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump also <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-wants-expand-federal-death-penalty-setting-legal-challenges-seco-rcna178979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> expanding the death penalty to include child rapists, drug and human traffickers, and illegal immigrants convicted of killing American citizens.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

‘Protect American Families’: Trump Vows That His DOJ Will ‘Vigorously Pursue The Death Penalty’

'Protect American Families': Trump Vows That His DOJ Will 'Vigorously Pursue The Death Penalty'

Trump Administration

Menu