Texas death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it

Originally posted by BlackOps719
Agreed.....he could have just done the old peanut butter in his underpants routine if he wanted to get a psych rap.

Pretending to eat doody in a packed court room doesnt seem quite so severe compared to gouging out and eating your own eyeball.

LOL! I never would have thought of that! I won't ask why you did. : )

This guy was no Ted Bundy or Richard Ramirez, I doubt if he had any courtroom groupies, but if he DID the peanut butter trick would surely have driven them away.

This would kind of be like the guy who saw off his feet with no pain killer, he said God told him to do it, I think they stop him half way thru other foot.

But this guy family could have been like other guys feet in way, and the fact that he kept hearts is quite significant.

And what does it say if thine eye offend thee pluck it out, that's not easy thing to do ever got poked in eye? If was on purpose, it would make me want to start dismembering the thing.

I guess he just wanted to see his "inner self" before he fried.

At least he'll see who's behind him when he picks up the soap in the showers!



Eye don't think he'll be seeing daylight for a while do you?

reply to post by jam321


OH heavens Jam. That is not a visual I needed!


Though I would never to to that guys' haunted house, that is for sure.

Seriously.

There is a slight possibility here, and I know I will get booed offstage. That he does feel remorseful. And the details of trials and havin to face the evident may be stressful for him. And he is trying to pluck the images of his dead family from his head. People have been known to do that too.

I dunno, I think I would rather face the injection then dig my own eye out.

Problem is that he is in Texas too, the most pro capital punishment state. They have the system streamlined, and usually are not very empathetic.
If you want to get out of capital punishment, don't do your deed in Texas.

FYI folks:

It costs more to commit an execution then to keep a prisoner for life.
Between paperwork, appeals, and everything else. The state ends up paying more for capital punishment.

The Costs of Capital Punishment

The actual execution of an inmate is quick and simple; the capital punishment system is far more complex. To resolve issues of unconstitutionality that the Supreme Court found in FURMAN V. GEORGIA, 408 U.S. 238, 92 S. Ct. 2726, 33 L. Ed. 2d 346 (1972), states found it necessary to introduce a complex appeals process that would guarantee the rights of death row inmates. Capital trials are much more expensive to carry out than are their noncapital counterparts because of the price at stake, the life of the accused. Evidence gathering is also more expensive: evidence must be collected not only to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused but also to support or contradict a sentence of death. All sentences of death face a mandatory review by the state supreme court, at an additional cost of at least $70,000. If a case advances further in the state or federal appeals process, the costs are likely to jump to $275,000 or more for each appeal.

Appeals of a death sentence guarantee great expense to the taxpayer, as the state pays both to defend and to prosecute death row inmates. Public defenders in such appeals openly admit that their goal is delay, and prosecutors and state attorneys slow the process by fighting access to public records and allowing death row defendants to sweat out their cases until the last minute.

According to a 1990 study, the total cost to build a maximum-security prison cell is $63,000, which breaks down to approximately $5,000 a year in principal and interest. The annual cost to maintain an inmate in this cell is approximately $20,000 a year. Together, these costs mean an annual expenditure of $25,000 to incarcerate an inmate. Based on a sentence term of 40 to 45 years, one inmate would cost the taxpayer only slightly more than $1 million—less than a third of what it would take to pay for the process that culminates in execution. A twenty-five-year-old woman convicted of first-degree murder would need to serve a life term to the age of 145 before the costs of incarcerating her would surpass those of executing her.

[edit on 9-1-2009 by nixie_nox]

reply to post by nixie_nox

There is a slight possibility here, and I know I will get booed offstage. That he does feel remorseful. And the details of trials and havin to face the evident may be stressful for him. And he is trying to pluck the images of his dead family from his head. People have been known to do that too.

Sorry about the visual.

I won't boo. You have added a possible explanation. Only the inmate knows the real reason and even if he told us the truth i am sure many wouldn't believe him.

Originally posted by Sonya610



How is it possible that this guy was NOT considered insane?

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

There is legal insanity and regular insanity. Many criminals have mental health issues and could be diagnoses as "insane" by psychologist. This does not mean they are not legally insane.

Legal insanity means somebody does not understand right from wrong. In the context of an execution, it means the person does not know what is going on. The fact that he ate his eye could indicate he is aware of what is going on. Afterall, the eye eating does not appear to be be a random occurrence, but a calculated act made to avoid an impending execution the prisoner is aware of.

Originally posted by liquidsmoke206
can't we just off the guy?
why even have someone like this on death row?
Just off him, why are so many people against it?
The entire universe is better off without this scumbag, just off him.

Well, I have to agree with your response - which most people around here wont be surprised coming from me. People like this, should never be allowed to breathe again IMO.

In regards to the "insane" part. Is he insane or is he truly Evil?
Are evil people insane or are they cunningly brilliant because they know how to come off as insane? Hmmm. Guess these questions belongs in the Philosophy forum.

But I say that to say, even if he was found insane....I'm not sure that putting him in some "hospital" would do any good. The man is pure evil (IMO) and what kind of treatment other then heavy sedatives, could help him? I dont believe he (or anyone like him) can be rehabilitated. A person such as this is way too dangerous to ever be in any place around others. Obviously he is a danger to himself. But seriously, let him mutilate himself. I sure as heck hope it hurts really bad when he does it. Whats next? Well, I wont say.....dont want to get dinged for violating T&C.

Originally posted by nerbot
I guess he just wanted to see his "inner self" before he fried.

At least he'll see who's behind him when he picks up the soap in the showers!

Eye don't think he'll be seeing daylight for a while do you?

I would not want to see any one suffer, he is most likely in so much pain it would be a relief for them to kill him. Ever been in solitary, all you have is time to think and what kind of life does he have left anyhow.
And that guy will never be around any one without leg irons, straight jacket, the guards are mostly likely afraid of him.
They double cuff me when five cops took me down, and I wasn't resisting, then they choked me till blood came out of my mouth, and this only for $25.00 traffic ticket I didn't pay. I could have gotten away from them at first and took one of their guns, but with my 6 year old daughter standing there watching it was better to let them have there way with me.
They would have just shot me anyhow.

The attorneys will probably make this guy suffer more.

It is fair to assume that the pulled both his eyes out to avoid punishment. The big problem with quickly giving him the "insane" title, is that it would set a legal precedent.

From that point on, others would have a choice. The chair, or pull out an eye...

Here is some more on this guy:

Andre Thomas confessed to fatally stabbing all three in their chests in March 2004 and ripping out their hearts. The appeals court ruled Thomas knowingly and intelligently waived his rights.

Thomas gouged out his right eye inside a jail cell in April 2004, moments after reading a Bible verse.

Then in June, a judge declared suspect Andre Thomas incompetent to stand trial in the murder of his wife and her two children.

Thomas was then found competent to stand trial in July 2004 after a brief stay at Vernon Mental Hospital.

Within hours of his arrest, Thomas gave a chilling confession, where he described in detail how he committed the murders.

www.kxii.com...

So, he did get some mental treatment, yet it did nothing for him. Apparently, it appeared as it did to the judge at that time.

My vote is he is cunningly evil.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
There is a slight possibility here, and I know I will get booed offstage. That he does feel remorseful. And the details of trials and havin to face the evident may be stressful for him. And he is trying to pluck the images of his dead family from his head. People have been known to do that too.

Yeah I think it is quite possible too. The guy is really out there. He could feel very guilty, or very bonded with the family he killed at times.

We most certainly do not know what is going through his head. The mere fact that he turned himself in says something.

It is like the mothers that hear voices and kill their kids during psychotic breaks. Some of them truly cannot live with what they have done when they are put on anti-psychotics and can think clearly. They can carry tremendous guilt.

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
Blind Justice anyone????? had to say it!!!. This guy should be put in a cell with no food and see what else he decides to devour. Makes me wonder how nuts the ex-wife was to have married this psycho!!

Zindo

She said to him, one day you'll have no idea why I married you in the first place, just before he stole her heart..

Really tho, it doesn't matter if he gets the death penalty... he's far too gone up stairs to ever come down from how it seems. That's just beyond tattooing swastikas on your head and acting kooky.. thats.. study its braiinnss stuff.



Ps, maybe he ate his eye to see what it would taste like?! -- I need sleep i think!

Originally posted by andy1033
Typical american, violence is in all your souls. One can be never sure if thats the way to treat those people,a s there are as many murderers walking around on the outside, getting away with whatever they do, all there lifes.

How is he any different than a government official who wants to destroy a families life, by say putting a kid into care. No real difference, just that most murderers are walking free.

He will pay for his crimes, but most people will not, especially female murderers.

Don't you mean typical human? Ever heard of Jack the Ripper? Terrorists cutting off people's heads while they are alive...etc

Typical American my ass

[edit on 9-1-2009 by yellowcard]

Does he have brain tumor like the guy in Texas in tower had one he killed everyone, I think the cops finally got up there and shot him I think.
He was normal before this. Was this other nut normal before this or abbeynormal? Did he have a bad record for hurting peoples?

Get ready for a typical 'me' response from, well, me. I'm sure someone will call me a heartless bastards (again) and that's alright with me.

I've never understood why mental insanity can be used to save one of these freak's lives in the first place. it's really simple human mathematics, really. You take all murderers and rapists/molesters, crazy, sane, and otherwise and you determine 2 things: can this person every be considered safe to society again and can this person ever be productive enough to warrant being allowed to live? If the answer to either question is 'no' then you send them to death row with one (1) appeal and a timeframe of 12 month until execution. No more drains on the taxpayer, no more endless delays, and certainly no more of this 'it costs more to give them the death penalty than to imprison them for life' malarky. I also fail to understand the financial logistics of providing health care to a condemned man. Let the bastard bleed to death or die from infection in his self inflicted wounds and save we tax payers a few bucks.

Originally posted by Sonya610


How is it possible that this guy was NOT considered insane?

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

I think this case points to the problem with the insanity defense in the first place. First off, I'd like to state my opinion is anyone who will murder another person - no matter the reason - is insane. With that you get on the slippery slide of insanity being a defense. Insanity as a defense tends to be applied and ruled a positive defense when the person who is accused has been deemed to not know right from wrong, or the consequences of their actions.

While pulling your own eyeball out and eating it is clearly insane (as is killing a little baby, a little boy and your wife), it does not necessarily mean he didn't know he was committing an evil act when he murdered.

So...in conclusion, the blind sob apparently has been judged by a jury in a court of law under the state's laws within he committed his crimes to be of such an ilk that removing him from society is best for society.

I'm not going to argue with the 12 people who decided that.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Valhall]

reply to post by andy1033


"typical American Violence is in all your souls"

Given comments like that... it's no wonder, my only desire (and it's not a threat) was to smack your face when I read that hate filled, generalized and nasty comment...

Perhaps you get what you perceive in life and actually create it yourself... muddle that over in your little head for awhile, I was felling great prior to being inflicted with that remark and suddenly I feel violent...




Learn to Control your thoughts ... you create what you believe, when you become aware of that you'll have some hope and decency

reply to post by burdman30ott6
Yea I like the way they do it in those so called backward countries, they just get the person chop of head right then, or arm , leg what ever, taken care of biz.
Then their easy to spot missing arm , arm and leg, head.
In the old days if a whore was caught messing around with young boys they would put big hole in side of nose.
That's what they should do to the pervs today, put big hole in nose.
I know I was in store one day with my daughter, and I notice I had begum to hiss unconsiously, I then looked over and saw a old perv, eyeing my daughter.

Sometimes i just want to be able to dwell in the minds of these kind of persons , to understant whats going on in there , i mean what would make a person commit this kind of acts.

[edit on 9-1-2009 by dracodie]

Originally posted by dracodie
Sometimes i just want to be able to dwell in the minds of these kind of persons , to understant whats going on in there , i mean what would make a person commit this kind of acts.

Well some sadistic killers are quite aware and intentional. This guy seems really really out there.

I used to not even think about the death penalty. It just seemed practical (other than the exhorbitant costs). But then one day out of the blue I thought about dogs, and realized, no matter what horrible thing a dog has done (i.e. eating children, other dogs, etc...) i would never ever blame the dog. I would always think it was not there fault; genetics, environment, something.

Then I started to think hey...how come I see dogs that way but not human criminals? It softened me up a bit. Not much, but a bit.