Convicted killer executed, but was he guilty?

[Contrary1]

St. Louis’ chief prosecutor’s report likely to fuel death penalty debate

"ST. LOUIS - To the very end, convicted killer Larry Griffin shouted his innocence to the world — through court filings, in pleas to the governor and to nearly any reporter willing to listen.

None of it helped. Griffin, strapped to a white gurney, was executed by injection. Now, 12 years later, St. Louis' chief prosecutor will soon release a report offering an opinion on whether Missouri put an innocent man to death

The report, two years in the making, has no legal weight but could have a powerful effect on the nation's death penalty debate. Nearly 1,100 people have been executed in the United States in the modern era that began with Gary Gilmore's death by firing squad in Utah in 1977, and not one has been proved innocent after the fact.

A finding of innocence could confirm what capital punishment foes have been arguing for years: that the risk of a grave and irreversible mistake by the criminal justice system is too high to allow the death penalty..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19418891/

[sandnsea]

1. Shouldn't have been a death sentence

Quintin Moss was killed in a drive-by shooting at about 4:25 p.m. on June 26, 1980. Moss, a 19-year old African American drug dealer and alleged hit-man for a drug ring, was shot on Olive Street near the corner of Sarah, a notorious
block known as "the Stroll."

Not every killing is supposed to get a death sentence. It's supposed to be reserved for the most heinous of crimes. If we weren't such a blood thirsty country, that doesn't know the difference between vengeance and justice, this guy wouldn't be dead in the first place.

[beyurslf]

2. If was still alive and innocent, he would be eligible for compensation as a wrongly

convicted man. However, with him dead, the sate may not have to pay. From the article:

"Missouri law provides for compensation for men and women who spend time in prison for wrongful convictions. But Corrections Department spokesman Brian Hauswirth said he is unaware of any provision for compensating families of those wrongfully put to death."

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. I Can Only Hope That The Report Comes Back Stating That He Wasn't Innocent.

Though in 99% of cases the DP is wrong, I think it would be far worse to know that an innocent man was put to death. So I can only hope that regardless of the DP being wrong, that the guy who was executed was at least guilty.