[div id="article"][font style="font-family: Verdana;" size="2"]Sorry, but I say "kill him". Being "too drugged up" to know what you're doing isn't an excuse in this case. I don't give a shit if he was dosed to the eyeballs, this piece of crap should die. I'm not a big fan of the death penalty, but sometimes......
[/font][hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]Florida girl's killer asks for mercy, lifeReuters
Tuesday, February 14, 2006; 12:39 PM[/p][div id="article_body"]SARASOTA,Florida (Reuters) - A man convicted of murdering an 11-year-old Floridagirl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera asked ajudge on Tuesday to spare his life and said he was too drugged toremember details of the crime.[/p]Joseph Smith was convicted inNovember of raping and murdering Carlie Brucia. The jury recommendedSmith's execution by a 10-2 vote but the decision on whether he getsthe death penalty or life in prison is up to the trial judge, CircuitJudge Andrew Owens.[/p][table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="238"][tbody][tr][td width="10"]
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[/td][/tr][/tbody][/table]Brucia disappeared on February 1, 2004,while walking home from a friend's house. The case gained nationalattention because a surveillance camera at a car wash recorded a mancoming toward Brucia and leading her away. The videotape was widelytelevised and several people recognized Smith as the abductor.[/p]Brucia's half-naked body was found in a churchyard and police said she had been strangled.[/p]"I'm truly sorry for my actions," Smith told Owens at a sentencing hearing.[/p]Smith,39, acknowledged his guilt as he spoke publicly about the murder forthe first time. He said he was addicted to drugs and had been usingcocaine and heroin on the day he killed Brucia.[/p]"I really don't remember much of that day," he said. "I only hope I will be an example of what drugs can do to you."[/p]Smith cried and said he was afraid of how his death would affect his young daughters and his mother.[/p]"I don't ask for mercy for myself, but for my family," he said.[/p]ProsecutorDebra Riva said Smith deserved to be executed. "None of that (Smith'sdrug problems) outweigh the horrible crime he committed against CarlieBrucia," he said.[/p]On Monday, Riva read a statement from Brucia'smother, Susan Schorpen, saying Carlie's murder had destroyed herfamily. Schorpen could not attend because she has been jailed sincelast month on drug possession and prostitution charges.[/p]"I have self-medicated myself to stop feeling, to numb the pain," Schorpen said in her statement.[/p]The judge is scheduled to announce Smith's sentence on March 15.[/p][/div][/div]
Yeah, cases like this really test my resolve. I am fervently anti-death-penalty, but part of me wants this gentleman executed in the most painful way possible...
I hear ya. It never ceases to amaze me how something I believe in so strongly can get rattled when I hear stuff like that.
"I really don't remember much of that day," he said.
Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. The state can save this guy from recidivism.
As much as this man deserves to die it would be pointless. Keep this guy in prison the rest of his life, make him have no contact with other prisoners and he'll remember and he'll go insane. That is punishment. Putting him to death is a 15 year sentence then they put you to sleep thru amnesia you know 1,2,3,4,5 etc. he falls asleep and he dies. What kind of punishment is that? In some ways your actually doing them a service. Keep them in jail they go crazy, thats hard time in my opinion.
^ Yeah, fair enough. As long as he doesn't get to do this kind of stuff again.
I agree Sportsdude. He should be kept in solitary with pictures of his victim behind plexiglas and the lights on all the time. And audio feed of her voice, laughter, etc would also help.[/DIV]I really don't mind the death penalty in cases like this where we know for sure he did it. He gave up his right to life by taking anothers. His victim got no appeal or trail or anything. This man is now a negative draw on the world and has no reason to be here anymore.That being said I'm still not %100 on the death penalty but this stuff makes me think.
Can you picture what it would be like to be locked up with the same song playing all the time? Like, I dunno, the telus "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" song?