South Dakota Executes Prisoner (Rare)

(Social Issues)

I'm not a fan of the death penalty.

1. I think it's a much harsher punishment for someone to sit and rot in prison than just getting what is a relatively easy way out.

2. The possibility that people are wrongly convicted, which makes the punishment far worse than the crime it was intended to give justice to.

3. The fact that another death will not bring anyone back, or make up for anything that was done.

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Now, even with all that being said, the following story I have little objection to:

South Dakota executes man for murder of girl

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota inmate was executed Tuesday night for the 1990 rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl who disappeared after leaving her home to buy sugar at a nearby store so she could make lemonade.

Donald Moeller, 60, received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, marking South Dakota's second execution this month in an unusual surge for a state that has carried out just two other death sentences since 1913.

...

Moeller initially was convicted in 1992, but the state Supreme Court overturned it, ruling that improper evidence was used at trial. He was again convicted and sentenced to die in 1997. The state Supreme Court affirmed the sentence, and Moeller lost appeals on both the state and federal levels.

Though he fought his conviction and sentence for years, Moeller in July he said he was ready to accept death as the consequence of his actions. He admitted for the first time in court that he killed the girl.

Source

I dont think anyone is exactly a "fan" of the death penalty...

Either you're "pro" or "against", I'm "pro"... but I'm not a "fan"

Soon this will be all facebook-like anyway "Guy gets executed in South Dakota" > Like

reply to post by boncho


Sometimes I feel an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

Then I see rape and murder and want to change my mind. But I won't.

Does it deter a killer from killing knowing he will be killed?

Life in prison,no parole.

I am against the death penalty at this time even though this person deserved it.

The reason I am against execution is that cases with absolute certainty are used to justify those marginal cases where innocent people are put to death. Confessions are often coerced. Evidence can be planted, concealed or tainted. The Innocence Project has proved that some who are condemned are innocent. Until we can be completely certain about guilt, we cannot justify taking an innocent life. When we can, then death may be an appropriate punishment. However, on the other hand, rotting in jail seems to be more appropriate to me. No one really knows what lies ahead after death.

Guy raped and murdered a 9 year old girl. I think locking him up is a waste of money, i dont think you can rehabilitate a child murderer. His crime is sickening and although killing him serves no useful purpose.. in this case im not against it.

It doesn't deter crime. Why?

Two types of crime. First, the crime of passion. Someone is emotionally out of control and kills someone. He's not thinking rationally, so the death penalty never enters his thoughts.

Second type, the premeditated. These folks don't expect to get caught, so why should they worry about the death sentence?

It's cheaper and morally better to have life in prison, no parole.

A government is an institution which prevents injustice other than such as it commits itself.
- Ibn Khaldūn

Ibn Khaldūn ,1332 - 1406, was a Muslim historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the fathers of modern historiography, sociology and economics.

Why did it take twenty two years for this monster to be put down?
If my dog bit someone and they raised a big stink on the matter, my dog would be put down..
The death penalty should be used as a deterrent more so than a punishment.
Heck I'll even get radical on the subject. Criminals, convicted of murder, and especially in cases like this where he raped a nine year old girl, should be tortured as punishment.

Sorry about my rant but this is a subject that fires me up

Bullets are cheap, rope is cheaper (and reusable)

Originally posted by Holidakd
Why did it take twenty two years for this monster to be put down?
If my dog bit someone and they raised a big stink on the matter, my dog would be put down..
The death penalty should be used as a deterrent more so than a punishment.
Heck I'll even get radical on the subject. Criminals, convicted of murder, and especially in cases like this where he raped a nine year old girl, should be tortured as punishment.

Sorry about my rant but this is a subject that fires me up

Bullets are cheap, rope is cheaper (and reusable)

I like the fact that he sat and thought about it. From the article it sounds like most of his time was solitary which means he had no one to talk to, with it very likely he was losing his mind. Death is probably a relief in those cases. When face with a brick wall for 20 years, you have to wonder what goes through the mind of someone like that. He has no control, no power, nothing that made him feel special or above society when he was outside.

reply to post by boncho


Yet the taxpayers are paying for him for those twenty years.
When inmates, like him, that are on death row or sentenced to life without parole, they realize that they will die in prison they also realize that they have nothing to lose and it makes them dangerous.
When backed into a corner like that the true animal instinct kicks in and one will do anything to survive.
I'm not saying they're all like this, and I'm sure some realize their mistake and are truly sorry. But what about those who aren't sorry? They're dangerous. The brave men and women who work as law enforcement officers in prisons go to work each day not knowing if they will go home again.

reply to post by Holidakd

I'm not saying they're all like this, and I'm sure some realize their mistake and are truly sorry. But what about those who aren't sorry? They're dangerous. The brave men and women who work as law enforcement officers in prisons go to work each day not knowing if they will go home again.

This is a little extreme. For one, some of the laws in the US have condemned people to live when it was nowhere near deserving.

For the ones that are beyond rehabilitation and are serving indefinite sentences, in most cases there are special handling units to deal with them. They are move around by themselves and shackled while still being barricaded in a cell or handling area.

Every country has inmates like this.

As far as general populations the terrible atmosphere in some of these places is conditioning them to be psychotic. It's not a positive atmosphere in any sense. Treating people like animals will turn them into them if they aren't like that already.

If they are, then the long sentence and solitary confinement is fitting.

There is nothing in this person's case that would convince me he could be rehabilitated. Maybe that is a personal opinion, but oh well...

For the 20 years he had to think about it, I say 'good'. Eventually he had to consider some kind of redemption only to realize it was unobtainable. At the core everyone is human.

So you guys like paying 50 or 60K a year [which only increases as they age] to house and feed these dirt bags ? There is no deterrent to crime that truly works be it the death penalty or life in prison, harsh sentencing etc and there probably never will be for people who choose the criminal lifestyle. We should be executing these people vs just warehousing them for life and doing something positive with that money. Its a complete waste keeping these people alive when we have already thrown them away with life in prison. It sickens me that the public as a whole cant get over the moral bs that accompanies a death sentence yet its somehow ok to stick them in a metal box until they die in some other way.

You have already condemned them to death so put a round through their brain and get it over with instead of flushing money down an endless hole that adds nothing of value to anyone

Originally posted by FraternitasSaturni
I dont think anyone is exactly a "fan" of the death penalty...

Either you're "pro" or "against", I'm "pro"... but I'm not a "fan"

Soon this will be all facebook-like anyway "Guy gets executed in South Dakota" > Like

im pro, and in extreme cases im a fan. people make the arguement its more expensive to carry out the death penalty, but i still think if they are guilty, take em out back. a single bullet is NOT that expensive.

Originally posted by Nite_wing
I am against the death penalty at this time even though this person deserved it.

The reason I am against execution is that cases with absolute certainty are used to justify those marginal cases where innocent people are put to death. Confessions are often coerced. Evidence can be planted, concealed or tainted. The Innocence Project has proved that some who are condemned are innocent. Until we can be completely certain about guilt, we cannot justify taking an innocent life. When we can, then death may be an appropriate punishment. However, on the other hand, rotting in jail seems to be more appropriate to me. No one really knows what lies ahead after death.

i like this. i know i said im pro death penalty. in the cases we arent ABSOLUTELY sure they are guilty, and we decide to put them on death roll/life in prison/no parole situations. im maybe not so much pro death penalty, as i am completly against life in prison.

yes, its a great "punishment" to know you will never be released. but then theres the whole me being a taxpayer PAYING for his 3 square meals a day, roof over his head, exersize time, and they dont have to "work" to pay for it. lets bring back the chain gang...