Killer spared from death hours before execution

[The Traveler]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The parole board in the state of Georgia spared a convicted killer from execution hours before he was due to die by lethal injection on Thursday and commuted his sentence to life in prison.

n March 1988, Crowe killed store manager Joseph Pala during a robbery at the lumber company in Douglas County, west of Atlanta. Crowe, who had previously worked at the store, shot Pala three times with a pistol, beat him with a crowbar and a pot of paint.

Crowe pleaded guilty to armed robbery and murder and was sentenced to death the following year.

"David (Crowe) takes full responsibility for his crime and experiences profound remorse," according to Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an advocacy group, who welcomed the board's decision.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/22/us-usa-execution-idUSN2250765020080522

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Given the doubts about Troy Davis' guilt, and the real (or at least widely perceived) possibility that an innocent man was executed just last night, this decision just seems bizarre. Perhaps the State should not be trusted with the power of capital punishment. I think there is ample grounds for arguing that the State of Georiga, at the very least, should not be so empowered.

Trav

[Frustratedlady]

1. He was white. Think that made a difference? EOM

[The Traveler]

4. Oh, come now ...

Surely not!

(Need I add :sarcasm: )

[Muskypundit]

2. Was he white.

[The Traveler]

3. Yep. He was white. Surprise. (n/t)

[rollin74]

5. happened in 2008

not exactly breaking news

3 of the 5 current members of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles weren't on the board at the time

[SoapBox]

6. OH! I just saw the date...

[SoapBox]

7. Here is the current Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles members

http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/export/sites/default/home/board_members.html

...you'll have to open each one to see the picture and read about them.

[Gregorian]

8. I cannot make sense of this.

Unless there is some information that no one knows, except for the parole board, I just can't understand their logic. I can't even guess.

I know that I'm a better person because of Troy. But that's just an aside comment. I'm grateful.

[stockholmer]

9. 2 of the 3 new members of the parole board(including the chairman & vice-chair) are African-American

They were not on the board when this decision was made in 2008.

Bottom line, the death penalty is a barbarous relic, regardless of race, and the US should join most of the developed world and get rid of it.

[The Traveler]

10. As someone pointed out, I missed the date on this.

I apologize. While still disturbing because of the lack of consistency, it is NOT news.

Trav

[The Traveler]

11. I've alerted the mods to remove my top post

Since this isn't breaking news. Mea culpa. Sorry for my confusion.

Trav

[SoapBox]

12. ...I missed the date in the article

And was furiously stomping around the house...and beginning a post on another site.

Glad I came back.

However...I still feel sick about last night. I'm not expert but after reading the Wikipedia page on Troy Davis and the trial...it seemed not absolute that he was the shooter.

Awful that they would not look into the case further.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_davis

[Mosaic]

13. Join Michael Moore and Boycott Georgia

You can go to his site to read more.