Death Penalty - Punishment or Murder?

[Octavious]

Dad to child killer: 'My daughter has heard me cry'

(CNN) -- Looking directly at the man who murdered his 9-year-old daughter, Mark Lunsford told John Evander Couey, "I hope you hear her cry as you try to sleep at night."

"You will never hurt another child again," Lunsford said in testimony Tuesday in a Florida court hearing where a judge will decide whether to give Couey the death penalty.


Jessica Lunsford, seen in an undated family photo, was 9 when she was abducted and killed. She disappeared in 2005 from her home in Homosassa, Florida.

1 of 2 His eyes fixed on Couey, Lunsford continued, "For 29 months, my daughter has heard me cry and begged God to stop the pain in my heart."

Addressing Florida Circuit Court Judge Ric Howard, Lunsford pleaded for Couey to die for his crime. Then he turned back to the man who took his daughter. Watch Lunsford's emotional testimony »

"I hope you see the tears at night when she asked you [if she could] go home. You will never hurt another child again."

Lunsford spent much time talking about memories of Jesse Lunsford.

"I can remember when she was about 1 year old and would give me kisses and hugs and steal the raisins from my cereal," he said.

"From bumps to bruises, from Band-Aids to bicycles, she was a tomboy with her daddy and a very nice little lady for her grandmother."

The hearing will continue Wednesday.

Couey's attorneys are trying to convince Howard that Couey is mentally incompetent and should be spared the death penalty.

"That's a cop-out," Lunsford said Tuesday on Larry King Live. "He is not retarded."

The father said he wants Couey to die for his crime. King asked him if he would attend the execution by lethal injection. "I'd hold the syringe if they'd let me," he answered.

But a prosecution expert testified Tuesday that the convicted killer had an IQ of between 80 and 90, about low average.

"My opinion is that he is not mentally retarded," said Dr. Greg Pritchard, a clinical psychologist.

Couey was convicted in March on charges of kidnapping, raping and murdering Jessica.

The jury voted 10-2 to recommend the death penalty. In Florida, the vote does not have to be unanimous to recommend the death penalty.

The judge is expected to sentence Couey next month

Jessica Lunsford disappeared in February 2005 from her home in Homosassa. Her body was found three weeks later in a shallow grave outside a mobile home about 100 yards from where she lived.

Couey, a convicted sex offender, was staying nearby in a trailer with his half-sister. Couey kidnapped the girl from her bedroom and later, in a taped confession, admitted that he buried the child alive. "I went out there one night and dug a hole and put her in it. Buried her," he said.

She was found wrapped in garbage bags, holding a stuffed toy dolphin, her hands bound with stereo wire. Jessica died from asphyxiation after being sexually assaulted, according to a medical examiner's report.

The judge ruled the confession was inadmissible in court because Couey had asked for a lawyer the day before he told police he committed the crime.

Evidence at the trial included Jessica's fingerprints in a closet in Couey's trailer and DNA from Jessica's blood and Couey's semen on a mattress in his bedroom.

Lunsford has led a push for stricter sex offender laws since his daughter's death

Then-Gov. Jeb Bush signed the Jessica Lunsford Act into Florida law. The 2005 legislation calls for prison sentences of 25 years to life for sex offenses against children under age 12, better registration of convicted sex offenders and a Global Positioning System notification mechanism to track down probation violators.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed similar legislation

Summed Up

- Mark Lunsford testifies at sentencing hearing for 9-year-old daughter's killer

- Jury recommended death for John Evander Couey

- Couey was convicted of kidnapping, raping, killing Jessica Lunsford

- Couey's attorney says he's mentally incompetent

So, my question has two parts; Do you approve of the Death Penalty? Or do you feel it's an abuse of punsihment? I would not wish death on anyone, but if someone were to do something like this to a family member, or a very close friend I'd find it hard not to sadly.

It's hard enough to imagine someone could do something like this as well as admit to it. I can imagine only a fraction of what the father feels. It's got to be insane...Anyway, opinions, perspectives, beliefs; Discussion Go!

[Vertabreaker]

Eye for an eye.

He killed the little girl (and did other horrible things to her), I think he should go to prison where he'll be raped, and then kill him the same way he killed her.

Lethal injection is bullshit.

[izembo]

i support the death penalty to a degree, however in this case i do believe that he is going overboard on pushing for the death penalty. i do agree when people try and play the retardation card as a cop-out. i dont care if they have a low iq, it should be treated all the same.

[SephYuyX]

As stated in the interview, death penalty is a copout. Im all for killing people, but I would rather see people tortured for the rest of their lives, rather than just having the pleasure of getting killed.

[Ryko]

The topic title is sort of skewed: Murder can be a punishment, they're not mutually exclusive. That said I'd rather taxes not be paid for a fuck like that to stay alive, if theyre gonna spend the money just do it and end his life.

[Skyylya]

I wholeheartedly support the death penalty however right now the system is so flawed it's a huge waste of money. Sentencing someone to death costs more money to the taxpayer than life in prison with no chance of parole. There are usually years of appeals and what-not becuase thay have to be 100% sure that the person dying is guilty and then you have to deal with as they said in the article the IQ level of the victim, which is very easy to skew your score negatively if you wish to. so while it's not a legitimate score they'll still argue it as valid.

That said, I think the death penalty should be applied more than it is, but they really need to cut back on the amount of appeals and whatnot, or at least in cases where the evidence is indisputable just bring them out back and off them. To many people use and work the system to waste money.

[MisterBob]

Wasn't some research done showing that with all of the work and preparation that needs to be done to do the death penalty according to US law, it actually costs more to kill them than it does to let them rot in prison?

[Venture]

Putting a one-dollar bullet into their brain would solve a good deal of cost issues, but would be so barbaric, I couldn't think of any truly civilized society that would tolerate it. Walking a fine line between carrying out a punishment meant to be a deterrent against these kind of heinous crimes, and being calm enough about it to not just rush into it like it's Roman sport and execute a few innocent people, or people who didn't deserve it. The actual process from conviction to execution really needs to be addressed.

As for the guy mentioned in the article: Whether or not he could fathom what he did, or even be competent enough to appreciate the effects of his action, he needs to be wiped out of the gene pool. Committing a sexual crime is bad enough, but twice is just intolerable. At a certain point, you just gotta accept someone isn't going to be any use to the human race as anything but a threat.

[izembo]

what ive been saying for years is all the products that animal rights activists fight against animal testing with... test them on death row inmates near their execution date.

[Vertabreaker]

I say strap some concrete blocks and chains on their ankles and kick them off a fucking pier.

They're on death row for a reason.

[Norelco]

As stated in the interview, death penalty is a copout. Im all for killing people, but I would rather see people tortured for the rest of their lives, rather than just having the pleasure of getting killed.

You're an idiot.

[Norelco]

Wasn't some research done showing that with all of the work and preparation that needs to be done to do the death penalty according to US law, it actually costs more to kill them than it does to let them rot in prison?

You're are correct.

[Dezzimal]

Abortion - Morally Wrong?
Senior Citizens - Should they be allowed to drive?
Marijuana - Why won't the cops just let me be?
Han Solo - Shoots first or shoots second?

[SephYuyX]

Han Solo - Shoots first or shoots second?

Lucas confirmed that Han orginally did shoot first.

[Vertabreaker]

Abortion - Morally Wrong?
Senior Citizens - Should they be allowed to drive?
Marijuana - Why won't the cops just let me be?
Han Solo - Shoots first or shoots second?
Adaberk - Purple or Blue

- No
- They should have to take a driving test every 10 years after they turn 50.
- Because they have nothing better to do
- First
- Purple

[JoOeetheplatypuS]

The death penalty should never be used as punishment, only used as a means to keep the public safe from people who have been proven to be too dangerous to be alive IE serial killers or mob leaders.

Cruelty is cruelty whether the person 'deserves' it or not.

[SephYuyX]

Ship them off to China for torture.

[Skyylya]

Abortion - Morally Wrong?
Senior Citizens - Should they be allowed to drive?
Marijuana - Why won't the cops just let me be?
Han Solo - Shoots first or shoots second?
Adaberk - Purple or Blue

- No
- They should have to take a driving test every 10 years after they turn 50.
- Because they have nothing better to do
- First
- Purple

hmm
- i agree, no
- should be every 3 or 4 years, elderly brains deteriorate much faster than that
- pot is fun before you're 18 and still in HS after that it's just kinda boring
- first i guess?
- def purple

[Sadler]

I personally don't agree with the death penalty...

Over in the UK the only crime punishible by death is treason.

[skurlover]

Really should let the dad have a good go at the pervert first and then like he did to the child, bury him alive. (Completely speaking from a parent of a 3yr old's perspective.)