Va. to execute first woman in nearly a century

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia was moving forward Thursday with its first execution of a woman in nearly a century amid appeals from the European Union and repercussions that reached as far away as Iran.

Teresa Lewis, 41, was scheduled to die by injection at 9 p.m. at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt for the October 2002 hired killings of her husband and stepson. To procure the hit men, prosecutors said, she used sex, cash and a promised cut of the insurance benefits the killings would reap her.

The U.S. Supreme Court and Gov. Bob McDonnell declined to intervene. All her legal appeals have been exhausted, her attorney said.

In a state with the second busiest death chamber in the U.S., the Lewis execution has stirred an unusual amount of attention because of her gender, claims she lacked the intelligence to mastermind the killings and the post-conviction emergence of defense evidence that one of the triggermen manipulated her.

Full Story Here:
Va. to execute first woman in nearly a century

Lewis used sex, cash and a promised cut of the insurance benefits? She met the guys that committed the murders at her friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart? That just goes to show you, you really can get everything you need at Wal-Mart. Money, sex, a hit man or 2…those Wal-Mart folks think of everything.

I wonder? Was there a price rollback?

Lewis’ supporters say she’s a changed woman, and point to testimonials from former prison chaplains and inmates that Lewis comforted and inspired other inmates with her faith and the hymns and country gospel tunes she sang at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women.

Well, there ya go! If you can comfort and inspire folks with your faith, and have a reasonably good singing voice, you too can appeal to the state to stay your execution. And again I wonder? Do you suppose her faith and singing inspire her husband and step-son?

In a letter this month to McDonnell, the European Union asked the governor to commute her sentence to life, citing Lewis’ mental capacity. Her lawyers have said testing shows Lewis is borderline mentally retarded.

The European Union’s ambassador to the U.S. wrote that the EU “considers that the execution of people with mental disorders of all types is contrary to minimum standards of human rights …”

OK Pierre, here’s the scoop, we don’t care what France and the EU think, this is still America, at least for now, and you guys need to mind your own business.

Teresa Lewis is borderline mentally retarded?

There is a very thin line between genius and insanity, and at times it is very difficult to distinguish between them. I know Sarah Palin won’t appreciate the AP using the word retarded, but that’s life. The bleeding hearts at AP are using it as a last ditch appeal to help Lewis I am guessing. Maybe Saint Sarah will consider the way it was used in a sentence.

I have to say, borderline retarded or not, she was tried and she was convicted. Too bad, so sad, one less borderline retard killing innocent people in the world.

Earlier this week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Western media of having a double standard in reporting on the Lewis execution.

He compared coverage of the Lewis case to the “heavy propaganda” campaign against the case of an Iranian woman who had been sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery.

Once again, Ahmanutjob proves that he truly is, a nut job. An American execution is the most politically correct method of execution in the world. We take the comfort and pain level of the person being executed into account.

A person being stoned to death receives no such consideration.

Have you ever seen The Religion of Peace mete out justice? Have you ever seen someone flogged or stoned to death? It’s ugly, there are videos on the ‘net showing it in graphic detail.

I found several stoning videos in a Google search, but I am not going to post them.

Lewis’ execution would be the first of a woman in Virginia since 1912. Texas held the most recent U.S. execution of a woman in 2005.

Out of more than 1,200 people put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, only 11 have been women.

What have women wanted for years? Yep, you guessed it: EQUAL RIGHTS!

So, there you have it, justice administered to a woman the same way as it would be for a man.

Parents: Slain anchorwoman was sexually assaulted

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The parents of the television anchorwoman who was beaten to death said Monday there is evidence their daughter also was sexually assaulted, and that she broke her hand fighting her attacker.

Five days after a suspect was arrested in the Oct. 20 beating of KATV anchorwoman Anne Pressly, Guy and Patti Cannady said on NBC’s “Today” that the family still has many questions about the killing.

Guy Cannady said that while the police theory is that Pressly interrupted a random robbery, he isn’t convinced of that.

“Well, it’s just unbelievable that a random robbery like this would involve the brutal slaying of Anne in this way. There just seems to be a lot more to the whole story than just a robbery gone bad,” he said. “I think he could have been a stalker.”

They said there was evidence of sexual assault.

Full Story Here:
Parents: Slain anchorwoman was sexually assaulted

If there is ANYONE that doesn’t believe that we NEED the death penalty in this nation, and if this particular case doesn’t sway you opinion, then there is NO hope for you.

I DO realize that the suspect, Curtis Lavelle Vance, is considered innocent until proven guilty, but I also feel that unless Arkansas has seriously messed up their investigation, Curtis Lavelle Vance WILL be found guilty of murder.

I am not familiar with the law in Arkansas, I don’t know how their murder designations read regarding 1st degree, 2nd degree, manslaughter and so forth but I do know this, Arkansas DOES have the Death Penalty on the books, and it is my most sincere hope that if this animal Vance is found guilty, the state of Arkansas WILL impose that sentence, and not take several years to carry it out!

My most sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Anne Pressly, she was taken from you in the most heinous manner, and ALL decent Americans share in your loss!

Military has date for first execution since 1961

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A former Army cook convicted of multiple rapes and murders is set to die next month in what would be the U.S. military’s first execution in nearly 50 years.

The military said Thursday that former North Carolina soldier Ronald A. Gray is to be executed Dec. 10 at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Ind.

Gray was arrested in connection with four slayings and eight rapes in the Fayetteville, N.C., area between April 1986 and January 1987, while he was stationed at Fort Bragg. He was convicted of murdering two women.

President Bush approved Gray’s execution in July, and a month later Army Secretary Pete Geren set the execution date and ordered that Gray be put to death by injection. The date was publicly released Thursday.

Full Story Here:
Military has date for first execution since 1961

This one is going to stir some serious emotions I am thinking. There will be protests, there will be accusations of racism. Pres. Bush will be accused of crimes against humanity, some silly BS or the like. And ALL this boils down to is justice being served.

I wrote about this when the decision to execute came down: Bush OKs execution of Army death row prisoner

That’s a pretty good record in MY opinion, render unto Caesar that which is Caesars so to speak, and that is only right.

Ronald Gray took 4 lives and it is now time to pay for those crimes, and the forfeit of his life is quite appropriate. It’s just a shame it didn’t take place 20 years ago, it would have saved this nation untold dollars for his upkeep and security.

I am wondering what the reaction will be from the Jack$on and $harpton contingent? Will they rally round to try and save this cretin from the punishment that he deserves or will the good *Reverends* take the above quote from Matthew 22:21 into consideration??

I suspect the hypocrisy is already in the pipeline.

To Ronald Gray, it is now your time to pay for the evil you committed on this earth and upon innocent people! To his family I say, I am sorry for the pain I know you feel, and to the families of his victims, I hope this gives you the closure you need and deserve and at least some sense of peace!