Five horrific serial killers who are free right now

[Gerrinson]

But I don't understand why you'd kill someone when throwing them in prison for life solves the problem. How is someone in a super-maximum security prison a continued threat to society?

I suppose capital punishment is done for revenge. That's a disturbing thought to me; that a supposedly unbiased and rational justice system is swayed by emotion.

Personally, I consider a $0.85 bullet much more cost effective that keeping a murderer locked up for life in super-max. Not that we shoot them, anymore, but that's the simple version.

Besides, if you locked me up in a tiny room with nothing to do but stare at the walls for the rest of my life, I'd be begging for death. The way I see it that's crueler by far, than simply killing them.

Honestly, I think keeping them alive is the more emotional response. A quick clean death is cheaper and far kinder than locking them away forever.

The only problem with capital punishment is that the justice system clearly locks up innocent people. Thus, you could only really apply in cases where overwhelming evidence, and ideally a confession, are present. While I believe in capital punishment, I can see the flaws that would lead to killing an innocent person. And I can't come up with a good fix for it.

But in cases like all of these proven serial killers? Just put a bullet (or several) in their brain. Problem solved, and there is no chance of parole or repeat offenses.

[Boozy]

I can see the flaws that would lead to killing an innocent person. And I can't come up with a good fix for it.

I can. Don't kill people.

[DesignFox]

<snip>
Honestly, I think keeping them alive is the more emotional response. A quick clean death is cheaper and far kinder than locking them away forever.

<snip>
But in cases like all of these proven serial killers? Just put a bullet (or several) in their brain. Problem solved, and there is no chance of parole or repeat offenses.

This is how I think, too.

I don't think the death penalty should be used lightly. But in the cases of some of these people that were listed in the article? Hell yes.

The thing that disturbs me most about the Japanese guy is that he's out there being celebrated for his crime. I mean, I guess it's good that everyone in Japan knows who he is. His fame may keep people wary since they know what he is capable of...but running free? Making money? There's something seriously wrong with that.

Do I think the woman who assisted her husband should get the death penalty? No. She didn't commit the atrocity herself, and likely was co-erced given the extreme circumstances. Should she be free? I'm not so sure about that.

The guy that murdered, ate and even fed parts of women to his unsuspecting friends? Fuck yes, he should be dead.

The guy from Ecuador who murdered HUNDREDS of children? Death penalty.

That other guy that killed the family? He was caught stealing and shot them all...I'm on the fence on that one. I'm not certain his crime warrants the death penalty (I don't see that he PLANNED to murder those people), but I don't believe he should be released from prison, either.

It disturbs me that these people are out there and free, when they are indisputably guilty of their crimes. It really unsettles me that anyone would defend keeping these threats to society alive. Didn't the article mention that some of these psychos ESCAPED while they were imprisoned? Sure. Let's let those guys live...

To my mind, there are just some cases where the only appropriate thing to do is put the person down.

[Evandril]

Idealy, a death sentance isn't 'punishment', it's removing someone from society who has proven they cannot live within it. Keeping them locked up until they die is STILL a death sentance, just a far slower one.

As far as rehabilitation goes, I feel it is dependant on the crime. Certain crimes are 'bad' enough that if you did manage to 'reform' the person...Living with the knowledge of what they had done would, in *my* opinion, have a good chance of being unbearable.

[AFPheonix]

Many people in prison are there because of socio-economic reasons or mental health issues. The system we have now only serves to keep these people in the loop of crime, since they have a hard time getting legitimate work after they've served time, and they have quite a few things they are required to do after release that can prove difficult for someone with little to no resources to do them.

If we could administer the death penalty in a way that only truly guilty, non-fixable people got it, then fine. However, history has shown that we are not yet capable of that. We've managed to execute quite a few innocents, and it's been given disproportionally to non-whites.
So, until we can get to a point where our forensic ability is far superior to what we have now, and when we as a society can manage to not judge people by their skin color, and we have better mental health care available to all, then maybe I would support death penalty.
Until then, life in prison without parole is far less expensive to us as taxpayers than death penalty and it keeps our hands free of potentially innocent blood.

[Evandril]

We've managed to execute quite a few innocents, and it's been given disproportionally to non-whites.

Can you show a source for that, please? Last I'd heard, noone had shown anyone who'd been excecuted as anything less than guilty...But quite possible that's not true anymore, so I'd love accurate information The non-white, unfortunatly, is still almost a given...Keep hoping it'll change *sighs*

[linguist]

[QUOTE=Evandril;17507][QUOTE=AFPheonix;17504] We've managed to execute quite a few innocents, and it's been given disproportionally to non-whites.

Can you show a source for that, please? Last I'd heard, noone had shown anyone who'd been excecuted as anything less than guilty...But quite possible that's not true anymore, so I'd love accurate information The non-white, unfortunatly, is still almost a given...Keep hoping it'll change *sighs*

http://www.justicedenied.org/executed.htm

the above link gives just a few examples of those executed whose guilt was in doubt. unfortunately, proving innocence after execution becomes a difficult ordeal, as those who were responsible for the execution don't want to admit to making an irreversible mistake. there have even been cases where the prosecutors have destroyed or attempted to destroy all associated evidence after execution that may prove innocence.

however, given the sheer number of convicted death-row inmates who've had their convictions overturned, it becomes increasingly likely that at least some of the inmates actually executed were in fact innocent.

[Boozy]

It's easier to hunt down examples where the death penalty has been unfairly and arbitrarily handed down. For example, it's far more likely that a black man will get the death penalty than a white man. The odds are worse still if said black man has killed a white person.

Odds of a white guy getting executed for killing a black guy? Almost zero.

Here's a link:

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/black...ted-13844.html

[IDrinkaRum]

For those interested, here is a link to the story of Carl Panzram.

[Lace Neil Singer]

For those interested, here is a link to the story of Carl Panzram.

And if you want the book, it's called "Panzram - A Journal Of Murder" and is by Thomas E Gaddis and James O Long. I would really recommend it.

Panzram wanted his own death at the end; he understood that he could never be rehabilitated and deliberately provoked the authorities into giving him a death sentence. At his hanging, he even cursed the hangman for not being quicker.

[DesignFox]

For those interested, here is a link to the story of Carl Panzram.

That is a twisted story.

[Tanasi]

Frankly I'd be a lot more liberal with the use of the death penality. Serial rapists and serial drug dealers are at the top of my list along with murderers. I'd also apply the DP to habitual drug users and drunk drivers. Make rehab mandatory and if after the 5th or 6th try they're still offending then IMO they've demonstrated they will not stop and therefore are of no use to society and need to be removed permanently.
Here locally 5 young adults car-jacked two more young adults and over the course of two days raped, sodomized, tortured, murdered and in one victims case was burned. These crimes were/are horiffic all are career criminals and while some have had periods of actual good behavior IMO they everyone deserve the death penality. The current defendent on trail lawyer has been trying to get his confession thrown out of court because defendent is an admitted liar and shouldn't be held to his so-called "word". No any other punishment is too good for them and besides if they were all convicted tomorrow it'd be 20 years or more before the sentence was carried out.

[the_std]

Serial rapists, murderers, drunk drivers, I can understand. But why drug users and drug dealers? Their actions are completely voluntary, whereas the victims of murderers, rapists and drunk drivers have no choice.

[blas87]

While I do think laws and punishments regarding drunk driving are far too lax in the US, I really don't think it warrants the death penalty. They need to go to jail/prison for longer than just a few days/months at a time. Once they are out, they just take their keys back and hop in their car again, regardless of if they are revoked or not. Stick them in prison for years and years, especially if they are way past their 1st OWI......take away their freedom to roam the roads drunk and they will go stircrazy.

I believe the death penalty should only be reserved for people who murder in cold blood and commit heinous sexual crimes, like rape.

[Flyndaran]

...
I believe the death penalty should only be reserved for people who murder in cold blood and commit heinous sexual crimes, like rape.

Absolutely not in the case of rape. If that were the case, then every rape would end in death.
I'm an atheist, so killing anyone is far too final. The few innocent people murdered in the name of society deserve more than an "oops we goofed" to their relatives.