Should this woman be executed in the US?

If she is, she will be the first woman put to death in America since 1953.


"The US is to execute a female federal inmate for the first time in almost 70 years, the Justice Department said.

Lisa Montgomery strangled a pregnant woman in Missouri before cutting out and kidnapping the baby in 2004.

She is due to be given a lethal injection in Indiana on 8 December.

The last woman to be executed by the US government was Bonnie Heady, who died in a gas chamber in Missouri in 1953, according to the Death Penalty Information Center."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54587863

Syl wrote:If she is, she will be the first woman put to death in America since 1953.


"The US is to execute a female federal inmate for the first time in almost 70 years, the Justice Department said.

Lisa Montgomery strangled a pregnant woman in Missouri before cutting out and kidnapping the baby in 2004.

She is due to be given a lethal injection in Indiana on 8 December.

The last woman to be executed by the US government was Bonnie Heady, who died in a gas chamber in Missouri in 1953, according to the Death Penalty Information Center."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54587863

As I oppose the death penalty in general, I'd say no. She deserves a full life sentence though, what she did is sick.

Of course, I wouldn't lose any sleep over her being offed either

She is definitely no Ruth Ellis that's for sure. Unlike her this womans crime was despicable and horrendous, but if she is genuinely suffering from brain damage sustained when she was a child....keeping her securely locked up for the rest of her life seems more humane.

My first reaction would be get rid of her, what she did for whatever reason is horrendous but then I think, would I be able to do the deed and the answer is no I wouldn't, so why would I expect someone else to do it on my behalf so to speak.
I watched a crime programme the other evening and it was about a serial rapist and murderer, it was decided he was incurable so he couldn't be sent to Broadmoor - where the intent is to control or cure the mental illness that lead to the crime so was given life in prison which turned out to mean he would never be released, you never know these days though, as he would always be a danger to women. I do think what's the point in keeping him but again if he was executed I surely couldn't do it as above. I'm sure there may be relatives of the murdered who could do it at the time but how would you feel later I wonder. Sorry bit of a ramble there.

Vintage wrote:Sorry bit of a ramble there.

Don't feel bad. I think confused is where most of us end up.

We all easily reject taking a life as an instrument of justice, and all the associated theories such as revenge, deterrence and removal. But then we all hear about cases like this, and we enthusiastically applaud the death penalty.

It is truly an issue of mixed emotions.

The VC did that to innocent peasants in Nam ,I saw the results, I had no hesitation in shooting them. So in this case I'd have no second thoughts in throwing the switch!

Any crime that a man would be executed for, then a woman should be executed for it too...


That's equality folks!!!

Tommy Monk wrote:
Any crime that a man would be executed for, then a woman should be executed for it too...


That's equality folks!!!

No, I think there are differences.
Ruth Ellis for eg was suffering from the mental and physical after effects of a miscarriage, a miscarriage caused when the man she shot and killed had punched her in the stomach.
Obviously no one, male or female would be put to death today for a murder between a man and woman who's relationship had become toxic, but it does highlight the differences between male and female crime.

Vintage wrote:My first reaction would be get rid of her, what she did for whatever reason is horrendous but then I think, would I be able to do the deed and the answer is no I wouldn't, so why would I expect someone else to do it on my behalf so to speak.
I watched a crime programme the other evening and it was about a serial rapist and murderer, it was decided he was incurable so he couldn't be sent to Broadmoor - where the intent is to control or cure the mental illness that lead to the crime so was given life in prison which turned out to mean he would never be released, you never know these days though, as he would always be a danger to women. I do think what's the point in keeping him but again if he was executed I surely couldn't do it  as above. I'm sure there may be relatives of the murdered who could do it at the time but how would you feel later I wonder. Sorry bit of a ramble there.

Members of the public would never have to do it obviously, and even if a family member of a victim would be happy to pull a switch or administer a fatal dose, they would be the worst people in the world to ask imo.

When it's your job, killing someone legally and under supervision, it would be a completely different matter.
Soldiers kill, it's their job in times of conflict, I cant see a problem in employing someone in authority to execute someone who has been found guilty of a heinous crime beyond ANY doubt whatsoever.

Tommy Monk wrote:
Any crime that a man would be executed for, then a woman should be executed for it too...


That's equality folks!!!

Yeah, there is a great deal of sexism in our legal system.

I'm OK with that, but I'm a neanderthal at times.

There were two women executed in between Ellis and this latest woman. I remember Karla Faye Tucker in Texas, who killed two people with a pickaxe during a robbery.

Ben Reilly wrote:There were two women executed in between Ellis and this latest woman. I remember Karla Faye Tucker in Texas, who killed two people with a pickaxe during a robbery.

I'm surprised it's only 2 tbh.
I was meaning Ruth Ellis was the last woman to face capital punishment here.

Ah, sorry -- I didn't read the OP properly. Also, this latest woman is being executed by the federal government, where the two I found were executed by their respective states.

In answer to the OP, if I had to choose I’d say execute her.

I think cold-blooded killers (or those who carry out premeditated murder) should be executed, but no one should be executed for say, a violent robbery.

Ben wrote:There were two women executed in between Ellis and this latest woman. I remember Karla Faye Tucker in Texas, who killed two people with a pickaxe during a robbery.

Also, Aileen Carol "Lee" Wuornos was put to death by Florida, in 2002.

The 2003 film Monster chronicles Wuornos' story from childhood until her first murder conviction. It stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos, a performance that earned Theron an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Original Quill wrote:

Ben wrote:There were two women executed in between Ellis and this latest woman. I remember Karla Faye Tucker in Texas, who killed two people with a pickaxe during a robbery.

Also, Aileen Carol "Lee" Wuornos was put to death by Florida, in 2002.

The 2003 film Monster chronicles Wuornos' story from childhood until her first murder conviction. It stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos, a performance that earned Theron an Academy Award for Best Actress.

I remember that film, beautiful Charlize Theron transformed herself and looked unrecognisable.

There must be a fine line to be drawn between people who have had unbelievably cruel childhoods that affects their mentality for life, and kids who were illtreated but just turn bad.
I suppose anyone who enjoys inflicting violence in a gory way has to have some mental disorder.