Ten life sentences for BTK killer
Ok seriously, there is a bit here to look at, some may need a pencil and paper.
First: Exactly how long is a life sentence? I believe it is for the rest of your life. So then by that logic two life sentences would be longer than any one should live right? Three would just seem out of control. So TEN?!?! WTF? Why didn’t they just make it for eleventy-billion years? And don’t say that it matters for his possibility for his parole, because:
Two: Possibility of Parole in 40 years? How the HELL can you get sentenced to TEN life sentences but be able to get out in a possible forty years? Where is the logic in that? Perhaps they should have set his possible parole as something more like “possible parole in three lifetimes.” That would have at least been more inline with their sentence length.
Three: Lets assume for a minute that the sentence, in respect to parole, had been something more logical, why the hell would you not just kill him and get it over with? I understand that Kansas didn’t have the death penalty when the crimes were committed, but they have obviously decided that was a bad idea. Do we think that if they had he wouldn’t have committed the crime? Do you think criminals would not do the crime if they were worried that the state would later enact the death penalty and they would get smoked? I doubt it.
What is the bonus for keeping this guy alive? The downsides are numerous: Cost, overcrowding, possible escape, possible release and relapse, more deaths in jail and continuing torture on his victims family. You know that if he does make it to his parole hearing that the victims families will show up to, rightfully, try and keep him in jail. Thus they have to drag up these memories and play them over in there head again. There is no closure for them.
I am sure that the ACLU will have some issue with that, but honestly he confessed, he described in graphic detail the torture and murders, he was convicted, (if he was on death row) he would have his appeals, I would say that is by far enough proof that he is guilty. If it is a matter of his personal rights, what right is being violated that isn’t already being violated in jail? People like this are the reason for the death penalty.
I agree with the last sentence. More death penalties. And not the ‘lethal injection + bureaucracies’ route which seems to cost the taxpayer a load of cash.
Rope. Tree. Done.
And the sentence before that about …being violated in jail is rather apropos.
The bonus for keeping him alive- I think the point of prison is supposed to be ‘rehabilitation of inmates’ as much as ‘punishment for crimes committed’. I’m not saying I agree with it; just that I believe thats the purported point. So smoking him would abrogate that idea.
But there is a better reason – a life spent behind bars, getting butt-raped by the other inmates – might be worse than a quick painless death. Speaking only for myself, I know I’d rather have the latter.
Personally I think they should let the families mete out the justice in this case. They have lost their loved ones, they should get to choose the punishment that fits the crime.
I agree about the death versus years in prison thing, but I strongly disagree with the fact that people are going to have to cough up the coin to keep this person alive. Rehabilitation is a joke in this case. I mean similar to your situation, this isn’t a person that you can ever trust here. Except in this case you don’t have to worry about him draining the booze cabinet, instead you have to worry about him torturing and killing you wife and daughter.
10 life sentences could run concurrently or consecutively.
That makes a big difference in the amount of time.
Another reason to have 10 life sentences is to satisfy each victom’s family. If they had only given him one, then another family might feel that he did not get any punishment for killing their family member.
Also, a lawyer might find a loophole and get him off of one conviction, but find it much harder to render all ten verdicts flawed.
As for the death penalty, it was not in effect when he committed those crimes in that state. Since then, it has been made part of the penalty phase of the justice system in their state. They can’t go back and kill people that committed crimes that would now be punishable by death. The people of that state, thru their lawmakers, made the choice to pay for criminals to live in prison, rather than put them to death.
Using Ron White’s line, with a slight change, sums up my opinion, “THEY NEED AN EXPRESS LANE TO THE DEATH CHAMBER FOR GUYS LIKE BTK.”
10 life sentences running concurrently could possibly mean the man could be out in 25 years. But they gave him what their state calls a ‘hard 40’, which means he has no chance of parolle for 40 years. He is 60 years old now, so if you do the math, he might have a slight change of at least going in front of the parolle board once or twice.
ABC news reported this morning, most likely incorrectly, that he got sentenced to 145 years with no possibility of parole.