Revealed: Death Row Inmates' Last Words

Revealed: Death Row Inmates' Last Words

news.sky.com

Authorities in Texas, where more people have been executed than in any other US state, have published the last statements of everyone put to death since 1982.

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I don't know whether publishing these statements serves any useful purpose or not.

Texas is known world wide for the amount of executions it carries out and I find it to be an eerie experience reading these last words - it brings the subject matter up close and personal in a way that I am not comfortable with.
But then this is far from a comfortable topic.

Does reading any of these last words make you feel any different about the condemmed? As I said, I am very uncomfortable about the whole thing.

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I really can't see one positive thing coming out of releasing the last words of criminals being executed. If they wanted to release this information, it should have been to the family or the victims -- nobody else.

I guess the only reason is for purposes of entertainment. Some of these statements are indeed pretty imense. I'm reading them out of interest, entertainment and because it's giving me a glimpse into something i have no knowledge of... the mind of a man on the doorstep of death.

It's wrong and I should stop reading but these are some of the most intense things I have read for a long time. This stuff is real.

I do not agree with the death penalty. I do though agree with lifelong torture for those who have harmed a child and are proven guilty absolutely (those we have absolute proof against or those who admit to the act). That is another thread though so no more will be said on it.


Now as for the words of the dead I am not sure I see a problem with it. I think everyone should have their last words be known, if they agree to it. I would believe that anyone on death row would agree as most from what I can see are claiming innocence. I know some actually might be and are innocent but many are just lying all the way to the end.

Some of those last words seem to have a hint of sarcasm to them; at least that is how I took them. Then you have the guy who actually admits he did the deed (at least he can move on with truth in his heart if not remorse). The one I am not sure if he was comparing himself to Jesus and saying he would rise again or if he meant that he would rise again in heaven.

Still some of those are interesting others somewhat annoying. Guess if nothing else it shows people will be people all the way up to the end that they know is coming.

Raist

I feel the death penalty is necessary though i feel the way these people get prosecuted left, right and centre isn't right.

Their last words should be remembered and I hope that those who claimed to be innocent will have an impact on the judges and prosecutors. Maybe they should hear them out and presume that reasonable doubt is in fact reasonable doubt. These people just hand out the death penalty like its cookies and milk. NOT FAIR.

I would like to qoute 2 people

"I am an innocent man and something very wrong is taking place tonight."

Leonel Herrera

I felt this was an unfair trail and even though he appealed the sentence with new evidence, the courts rejected. He was killed presumably INNOCENT.

"May God bless you all. I am ready"

Ed Johnson's last words just pointed out how these people change their whole perspective on life and just accept death... something none of us can even imagine.

Great thread thanks

[edit on 29-9-2009 by halfmanhalfamazing]

reply to post by halfmanhalfamazing


Tony Roach:

I cannot agree with this injustice. The Bible says that you shalt not kill, but it also says to obey the government. I am sorry, forgive me.

But some can be funny(cringe) too www.tdcj.state.tx.us...


[edit on 29-9-2009 by and14263]

You'd be surprised about how serious people get about last words.

Growing up, I'd always been around books about last words. My father, a medical examiner and mortician (small town, 1980's), loved reading them.

I always thought it was weird, but as I grew up, I understood the mysticism behind a man's dying words.

A man's last words, especially when he knows them to be his last, are a true testament to his character, and some can be very meaningful. Some say silly things like "Beam me up" but some actually do put together quite profound quips.

Hearing a man, about to be executed, apologize for his deeds- that's deep. It's just as easy for a criminal to be spiteful and proud of his crimes before being killed- so what does it tell you, that some are actually sorry, even before being killed?

The way I figure- if these monsters can provide some good reading (or at least some entertainment in their words), why not let people indulge? We've all had our tax dollars spent on keeping someone on death row- don't you feel like reading their last words might be a bit of a return on your investment?

Knowledge should be attained, always, from everywhere. Don't just think of this book as morbid; instead, try to take something positive from it.

The ones that have made a point of saying they were innocent, and yet still accept their fate and allow it to happen gracefully are the one's I would look at first for actual innocence.

Personally, knowing how corrupt and unjust the supposed "Justice" system is (yes I have had a few experiences myself with the courts) it would not surprise me to find that a large number of those executed men were in fact innocent and the product of a corrupt system.

reply to post by Kryties

There are lots on there proclaiming innocence, if only one of these were telling the truth then we are in a sad sad world.

Originally posted by and14263
reply to post by Kryties

 

There are lots on there proclaiming innocence, if only one of these were telling the truth then we are in a sad sad world.

There were some of them that seemed genuinely innocent...

That is, until I looked them up on Google and saw the huge sums of evidence against many of them for crimes of rape to murder, or both.

Most of those who were executed were guilty.

However, NOTHING is perfect. Nothing.

Which can only mean that at least some of these men were innocent.

I'm a bit split, here... before today I was 100% pro-death penalty. After being directly exposed to some of the men, then doing my own research, I've found a couple that I believe were innocent. I'm not saying I'm anti-death penalty now, but I will say that I plan on giving it a lot more thought.

This one, is by far, the most convincing. I believe with, wholeheartedly, that Greg Wright was an innocent (and good) man:

www.freegregwright.com...

(I should also mention I had never heard of Greg Wright before I read his last words on the government site, so this is NOT an attempt to troll bait or anything)

Then, we have ones like this:

www.tdcj.state.tx.us...

Clark James' last words were "Uh, I don't know, Um, I don't know what to say. I don't know. (pauses) I didn't know anybody was there. Howdy."

I don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for the guy's obliviousness.

What scares me is how easy it is to be prosecuted and found "guilty" just because the court system isn't really about proof and innocence, it's about convincing a small group of people, most having little knowledge of the law, that you are guilty.

Your fate is put in the hands of 12 random people, how often do you find 12 random people you'd trust with your life?

Yeah, it makes you realize these people are not monsters, they're just human beings who have done monstrous things.

I'll never understand why most people think the death penalty is a good thing.

reply to post by Donnie Darko

Yeah, it makes you realize these people are not monsters, they're just human beings who have done monstrous things.

Exactly.

It reminds me these people are not monsters.

They are people, who made a choice.

People who made a CHOICE TO KILL and that decision stripped them of any right to their own lives.

People who CHOSE through their selfishness, to kill.

It reminds me, they made their choice, and they should be compelled to live, or die by those choices.

When they CHOSE to do the monstrous things they did, they stepped outside of the rules of society.

And, in making that choice, it leaves society with no other choice but to do what our society has deemed a just punishment.

reply to post by silo13


Actually, it's people who we've decided, beyond a reasonable doubt, to be killers, rapists etc.

The evidence is real strong in some cases and pretty weak in others.

If there was massive evidence supporting the idea that someone raped and murdered a bunch of kids I'd say he should face the death penalty, I just feel like Death should be a harder thing to sentence someone to.

At least when they did public executions we saw how gruesome the whole ordeal was, now it's too clean and simple.

reply to post by silo13


Again with murdering the murderer.

Seriously, if one cannot see the hypocrisy in that then all hope is lost.

meh...

I could care less about the last words of these killers.

I know I know Everybody in jail is innocent :shk:


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Oh, and by the way.
When the killers want to record the last words, the dying words of their victims to pass on to their families?
Then I’ll give a *Bleep* what they have to say on their way out.

You bleeding hearts make me want to puke!


Have you thought for even ONE MOMENT what the LAST THOUGHTS, what the LAST WORDS were of the VICTIMS?


‘Help! OH GOD would someone PLEASE HELP ME!’

‘NOOOOOOO, no no no , no pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, don’t do that! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, stop it, oh my God NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, please stop it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘Mommy, I want my Mommy, please, let me gooooo I just want my Mommy, please let me go please please please, I promise not to tell anyone, I promise never to be bad again, pleaseeeeeeeeeee I want my MOMMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“

“My eyes are closed, my eyes are closed, I promise, I didn’t see you, please, my eyes are closeeeedddddddddd, ohmygof ohmygod ohmygod, I wont tell, I wont, I promise I wont tell, please please, don’t kill me, please don't ki...”

And then, there are the ones, who all they can do is, scream...

Now tell me I should give a *bleep* what the killers have to say.

reply to post by silo13


Pffft. Doesn't matter what you say about the victims blah blah blah there is still one fact that you cannot deny. That murdering the murderer is hypocrisy. Period.