Sniper being executed

[klmno]

I don't want this to turn political- regardless of what one's beliefs about the death penalty are, we have it here. The sniper had already killed several in MD, Difficult Child, and northern VA area before he came closer to my home. difficult child was in elementary school (2nd grade I think) when the sniper left a note at a restaurant about 15 miles away and shot someone there. The note said that none of our children were safe and he'd already killed a 13yo boy getting off a school bus.

Needless to say, all people around here went into a panic. The schools went into lock-down mode as a precaution. Then, he made a phonoe call from a phone booth just a few blocks from where we lived at the time. Police got there quickly (that's who he had called with details that only he knew). This is when everyone thought he drove a white van. Children were not allowed to play outside anymore, per concerned parents. Anyway, they landed a helicopter in the street 1 1/2 blocks from my house and cops slammed a white van. It turned out to be full of illegal mexican immigrants- no sniper. They closed the schools in the area so parents could keep their children in the house 24/7.

Not long after, he was caught, he and Malvo were tried and convicted in Richmond, not too far from where this incident I described took place. Our governor here denied his stay of execution today and I haven't heard of a single plea for his life. I rarely want to think of execution for someone, but if anyone deserves it, this man does, in my humble opinion.

Duriing difficult child's first stay in the psychiatric hospital, the psychiatrist asked the typical "do you know what day it is, who's the president, etc". Then he asked "What happened on 9/11, where were you when the sniper came thru" and psychiatrist told me he had seen a big increase in admissions for young kids since all that happened.

This man has about 10 mins to live.

 

[Hound dog]

Can't say it breaks my heart. And I'm sure many parents will rest easier knowing there will be no possible way he will ever be one the streets again.

 

[klmno]

The teen got life- not the death penalty, which I'm glad about. I think he was the sniper's victim, too.

It's a shame- the whole thing.

They just said it's over. He never showed any remorse or make a final statement and was unemotional, according to the spokesman. He requested a specific last meal- which is more than his victims got.

 

[Star*]

The thing that got to me was one of the victims daughters was interviewed and said that she wanted to be there to watch Malvo take his last breath because he watched her Father take his last breath. It made me sad to think that someone had held on to their anger for so long on top of loosing their Father. I understand it. I just think and hope that at the last minute she chose not to watch - it will be something she'll never get out of her mind, on top of loosing a Father, and carrying around the anger. Just seems like Malvo got to take another life and she didn't even realize it.

There were no winners in this situation. I just said a prayer for everyone concerned. Not much more you could do.

 

[smallworld]

I live in a Montgomery County, Maryland, where many of the shootings took place. We had just moved here when the sniper attacks began. It was easily one of the scariest situations I have lived through (9/11 in Difficult Child was also very scary). My kids had day after day of lockdowns in their schools. We didn't know if we should venture out to wait at school bus stops, to go grocery shopping or to get gas for our cars. We lived in absolute terror. I've never seen my kids, especially J, so relieved as when the sniper was caught.

 

[mstang67chic]

There were no winners in this situation.

I saw a brief interview with the brother of one of the victims. He planned on attending the execution but said the same thing.

 

[klmno]

I wouldn't want to watch it. I do still feel some sadness that another person's life was lost unnaturally. I think a lot of things contributed to making him the way he was, but the fact that I don't see any way possible he could ever contribute anything positive- not even as a jailhouse peer to others. He never showed a drop of remorse, apologized, showed any emotion over this, nothing. I feel for his family but truthfully, as Smallworld pointed out, this was absolute terror - for parents, kids, teachers, everyone. Since you mentioned 9/11- it reminds me that at the time the sniper was around, no one knew if he was a terrorist under Osama or something- we were worried here that it could be a precursor to another bombing or something.

I think it was that victim's brother that said he witnessed it and the feeling of seeing someone's life taken, even this guy's, was more powerful than the closure that he got from knowing he was gone.

Star, Muhamad (sp) was the adult who just got executed. Malvo is the teen- he's a different story in my book. He was brainwashed, manipulated, and mentored (for lack of better word) by Muhammad as a teen but has shown remorse, admitted to what he did, even more than he was convicted of, and apparently really trying to be a different, responsible person. I don't know how I'd feel about him ever being released, if parole is even an option at some point in time for him, but I wouldn't want him executed. It's just not the same thing to me.

 

[witzend]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. The man was a true sociopath, right up there with Bundy and Dalmer. He was never going to recover. It's so sad what he turned that boy into.

 

[klmno]

Yeah- I don't buy the defense theory that this was just PTSD. The people- even those men who fought in a war- that had psychological issues from the war- with PTSD have drug or alcohol issues, or anxiety and over-reaction issues that can lead to panic or violence but still, it's a reactionary thing and not a spree of killing innocent people over and over.

 

[hearts and roses]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. The man was a true sociopath, right up there with Bundy and Dalmer. He was never going to recover. It's so sad what he turned that boy into.

Ditto. in my humble opinion, the day should have passed without comment or air time. He wasn't deserving of so much attention. Loser, piece of poop, glad he's gone. Wish more states had the cohones to do the same when it's appropriate and just.

 

[donna723]

And the best part is that this happened relatively quick. A lot of people sit on death row for twenty years or more before they're finally executed!

 

[Star*]

klmno - thanks for the correction.

I'm not a sympathetic protester for this man, or any other murderer. I also believe there are people in this world that are so evil they don't belong in it. My point was the victims relatives that think their tragedies will somehow be balanced by demanding and eye for an eye - when they witness what they think they wanted ends up ruining their life more.

If there was anything redeeming about him - I think it was in the fact that he said nothing. There was nothing to say, not to any of us any way. I'm sorry would have seemed pathetic. So nothing really was the best thing.

 

[hearts and roses]

My point was the victims relatives that think their tragedies will somehow be balanced by demanding and eye for an eye - when they witness what they think they wanted ends up ruining their life more.

From my own experience, I don't feel many people would be thinking in terms of "eye for an eye". And often, after a person like this is executed for his misdeeds, I don't think many people end up feeling as if the scales have somehow been balanced. I think, more often than not, most of us just feel that the execution just adds to the tragedy they've endured.

I cried when difficult child's predator was sentenced to 10 years. Yeah, I cried for his losses as well as ours and I cried for his little 4 year old daughter who'd been robbed of her father; what he could have been if he wasn't such a screw-up. But he made his choices, just like Muhammad, out of a demented state of mind or out of hate or whatever.

Not saying that our experience is anything compared to the victim's families in this case, but I can certainly understand why they would want to see him erased from the planet they live in and not so much for the "eye for an eye" reason.

 

[JJJ]

All life is sacred. in my opinion any action that intentionally takes a life (except to save another) is wrong.

He committed horribly evil acts. He should have been made to rot in jail. The families of his victims will mourn the loss of their loved ones until the day they die. He got off easy.

 

[Star*]

The thing that got to me was one of the victims daughters was interviewed and said that she wanted to be there to watch Malvo take his last breath because he watched her Father take his last breath. It made me sad to think that someone had held on to their anger for so long on top of loosing their Father. I understand it. I just think and hope that at the last minute she chose not to watch - it will be something she'll never get out of her mind, on top of loosing a Father, and carrying around the anger. Just seems like Malvo got to take another life and she didn't even realize it.

The eye for an eye I was referring to is Cheryl Witz, daughter of the father who was maliciously gunned down. I felt sorry for her logic thinking that watching Muhammad (originally quoted as Malvo but corrected by klmno as Muhammad) take his last breath would somehow justify her Father loosing his life. I know she's hurting, who wouldn't. I just don't know if she really wouldn't have been better not watching. The other victim's relative sat out in the car outside the prison and said that he deserved to die, she didn't need to see him die to know he was dead. I guess I didn't explain that very well. I don't know what good comes from watching another human die. In another interview I read a son (survivior of another man shot) said that the only thing he felt would be fair would be to let Muhammad stand somewhere and let him shoot him dead. To me? That sounded like eye for an eye justice balancing the scales, and I understand it - but just saying at the time you say it you THINK it will make you feel better. When it comes down to it, most of us really would not want that eye for an eye justice - we'd want swift and fair punishment. (make better sense?)

Sorry to be confusing.

 

[DammitJanet]

K...like you and Smallworld, that man scared the bejeebers out of me during his spree because of where he was doing his attacks. I had friends and family in that area. I cant remember right now if Jamie was on base then or not. I know several of the murders took place right around where he now lives. One of the members of this board who doesnt post much anymore lives there. We were all terrified for her family. My dad was driving through that area right at that time on his way to Boston.

I could have happily done the execution for them. I dont like evil.

 

[witzend]

All life is sacred. in my opinion any action that intentionally takes a life (except to save another) is wrong.

He committed horribly evil acts. He should have been made to rot in jail. The families of his victims will mourn the loss of their loved ones until the day they die. He got off easy.

As a general rule, I would agree. I'm not usually in favor of the death penalty. There are some times when it is appropriate. I think this man saw himself as a martyr for his twisted cause and got off on being in jail. I don't see any indication that he was miserable there. Honestly, though, I think what happened with Jeffrey Dalmer was more appropriate than this execution. He should have died alone, unprepared, unknowing, and scared.

 

[hearts and roses]

Yes, for it to truly be an 'eye for an eye', we should have let him loose, making him aware he would have snipers aimed at him randomly and without ever knowing which upcoming moment would be his last. Let it go a while so he begins to feel comfortable - maybe even confident that he is outwitting the snipers trained on him - and then when he least expects it, shoot him dead. THAT would be eye for an eye, and maybe it makes me a big old meanie, but to me that would have been more just in this case.

 

[klmno]

You make a good point, Star. I think your issue is about the importance of forgiveness (not forgetting) and letting go and coming to terms with oneself. As most know, forgiveness is as much for ourselves as for the other.

on the other hand, I can only imagine how I might handle things and feel if that 13yo boy had been my son or if my son had been in our front yard and been shot by the sniper driving thru the neighborhood. I would have had all the feelings of hatred, wanting an eye for an eye and wanting to be the one to carry it out, I'm sure. I might have wanted to witness the execution. But I would hope that at some point, I would be able to move past the anger by coming to terms with accepting that nothing would ever bring back my son and that if I am ever going to have a decent life again, I would have to let the hatred go and leave it in the hands of a Higher Power. That''s what I would like to think and some people have done that- whether or not I could be that big of a person if he'd done that to my child, I don't know. Honestly, I doubt it.

I think it has something to do with the fact that although murder is never justified, these weren't committed in the heat of the moment, they weren't getting back for something the victim did to him, they weren't for any real or imagined cause, ans frankly, it appears to be just the opposite- that he made a point to go after all ages, genderrs, races, of people who were doing normal things- they were all doing just what they should have been doing and there was no warning, second chance, nothing. It could strike at any place, any time, no matter who you were and there was not even a chance to say a 30 second final prayer.

 

[DammitJanet]

I must be getting less forgiving in my old age. I have little use for people who can do such things. Actually I have no use for them. This guy, the guy who executed all those people at Fort Hood, the guy in Cleveland...I have the answer...kill them. They are a waste of space. I actually want to torture the guy in Cleveland just like he tortured those poor women. Then kill him. If that makes me bad, Im sorry.