Ross execution postponed by Federal judge

[NewJeffCT]

HARTFORD, Conn. - A federal judge said Monday he will order a postponement in the execution of serial killer Michael Ross, who waived his appeals and was set to become the first person put to death in New England in nearly 45 years.

U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny said he wants to hear more evidence about Ross' mental capacity.

"I think it is inevitable that I will be issuing a stay postponing an execution until the outcome of this proceeding," Chatigny said. He did not say how long the stay would last.

Ross, 45, is on death row for the murders of four young women in eastern Connecticut in the early 1980s. His arrest in 1984 ended a three-year spree of attacks that stretched from Connecticut to New York, North Carolina, Illinois, and Ohio. He raped most of his victims, and killed eight of them, six in Connecticut.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050124/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_execution

[opiate69]

1. You probably won't belive this, but..

my sister and a friend of hers almost became victims of his.. they were walking along Rte 12 in downtown Jewitt City and a car stopped next to them.. the guy asked for directions to the Plainfield bowling alley.. they told him "Just keep going straight up 12, and you'll eventually see it on the right". He kept telling them shit like "I don't know if I can find it, maybe you should go with me..".. they told him no, and turned around and went into Michael's grocery store. A couple weeks later, Ross was arrested, and my sister freaked when she saw him on the news.. I kind of doubted her until I met her friend who corroborated her story.

[ProgressiveConn]

2. Stay Lifted. =(

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050127/us_nm/crime_death_dc_1

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A closely divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday lifted a stay of execution for Connecticut death row inmate Michael Ross in a move that could clear the way for New England's first execution in 45 years..."

=( Bad news. IMO our state legislators need to fix this. My Rep is doing everything he can to stop Capital Punishment in Hartford. I hope everyone encourages their Reps to do the same.