[LOCAL]: Joey Wilson death sentence
Beth
How about [LOCAL] issues in the news, specifically
the Joey Wilson murder trial and death sentence.
This week a judge confirmed 21-year-old Wilson's
death sentence for participating in the "cell phone
murders" where 4 young people were killed in 1996.
For once, I was very surprised by the trial coverage:
the TV stations didn't seem to be sensationalizing it
as much as the Heather McGill trial (no 30 min. special
each night, no funky logos & theme music). Guess they
have either wised up or didn't want to risk slandering
another possibly-innocent person (hey, ratings drop if
they're acquitted!).
The trial was held here in Hsv and attended by many
survivors of the murder victims. Apparently, the
family members agreed among themselves to *not* talk
to reporters until the trial was over. That showed a
lot of class & restraint when probably most of them
wanted to just scream out to the world about how
their lives were ripped apart by the murders.
The other side of the story is Joey Wilson's family
who, understandably, wants to help their kid as much
as possible. His Dad (who is a local engineer) sobbed
on the stand during the trial's sentencing phase to
beg the court to give a life sentence instead of death.
Could you blame him for trying? Wouldn't *you* beg & plead
for your child's life no matter what crime s/he committed??
There are many local people affected directly by this case
and the fallout. Anyone care to comment on the issues?
o IIRC, one of the accomplices who actually fired more shots
testified against Wilson in return for a reduced sentence.
o Wilson was 18, the other 2 killers were 21 and 25 when it
happened, but they claimed Wilson was the "ringleader."
o Alabama still uses the electric chair for executions.
Inhumane? Inefficient? Other methods?
o The appeals process will take years to complete; would
the families have better resolution/closure with a life sentence?
o Would *you* want execution for someone who murdered *your* child?
o Joey Wilson was party to 4 murders; Betty Wilson (no relation)
was convicted of plotting her husband's murder & paying a nut
to do it. One got death & one got life without parole. Disparity?
o Could *you* keep quiet to the (sympathetic) press during
such a high-profile trial?
Just trying to stir up some different, LOCAL debate here!
Carol Farquhar
>Seems lately we should rename the group: hsv.general.lewinskygate!
>
> o IIRC, one of the accomplices who actually fired more shots
> testified against Wilson in return for a reduced sentence.
>
Fry them all.
I'm usually left of moderate but I think the death penalty is
justified on some cases. I am concerned that is usually
poor minorities that get sentenced to die.
> o Wilson was 18, the other 2 killers were 21 and 25 when it
> happened, but they claimed Wilson was the "ringleader."
>
From the testimony I read he was.
> o Alabama still uses the electric chair for executions.
> Inhumane? Inefficient? Other methods?
Lethal injection is more humane but I don't have a problem
with the electric chair. It's probably more humane than
the way some murder victims have died.
> o The appeals process will take years to complete; would
> the families have better resolution/closure with a life sentence?
I don't think there is ever really closure but execution should be
carried out faster.
> o Would *you* want execution for someone who murdered *your* child?
Yes.
>
> o Joey Wilson was party to 4 murders; Betty Wilson (no relation)
> was convicted of plotting her husband's murder & paying a nut
> to do it. One got death & one got life without parole. Disparity?
>
I'm one of the few people that think Betty Wilson got a raw deal
and is innocent.
> o Could *you* keep quiet to the (sympathetic) press during
> such a high-profile trial?
Yes. I was in a similar situation a few years ago. None of my
family spoke to the press. Email me for details
>Just trying to stir up some different, LOCAL debate here!
Don't we have enough with Dan et al?
To reply take the 1 off my name
Beth
>
> On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 15:07:35 -0500, Beth <sorn...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > o IIRC, one of the accomplices who actually fired more shots
> > testified against Wilson in return for a reduced sentence.
> >
> Fry them all.
Yup. Unless someone says that there was a gun held to his
head and it was either kil or be killed, there isn't *any*
mitigating circumstances in this case. The accomplices
(who *may* have actually committed the majority of murders)
turned on the other guy to save themselves. The state
rewarded their alacrity with reduced sentences. >:|
> I'm usually left of moderate but I think the death penalty is
> justified on some cases. I am concerned that is usually
> poor minorities that get sentenced to die.
In this case, I *think* everyone was white & middle-class.
IMO, that *shouldn't* have any effect on the trial proceedings,
but history has shown it does especially in capital murder cases.
> > o Joey Wilson was party to 4 murders; Betty Wilson (no relation)
> > was convicted of plotting her husband's murder & paying a nut
> > to do it. One got death & one got life without parole. Disparity?
> >
> I'm one of the few people that think Betty Wilson got a raw deal
> and is innocent.
You're not alone in this opinion! Among other things, when they wanted
to prove BW cheated on her husband, the state was careful to select
the young, black lover to testify in front of the jury. Uh-huh.
Douglas Bailey
> I'm usually left of moderate but I think the death penalty is
> justified on some cases. I am concerned that is usually
> poor minorities that get sentenced to die.
You shouldn't be concerned about that...you should be concerned that
rich non-minorities DON'T get the same sentence. IF this a legitimate
concern in the first place, that is...
Doug
Paul F. Pearson
>On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 15:07:35 -0500, Beth <sorn...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> o Alabama still uses the electric chair for executions.
>> Inhumane? Inefficient? Other methods?
>Lethal injection is more humane but I don't have a problem
>with the electric chair. It's probably more humane than
>the way some murder victims have died.
I heard somewhere that Thomas Edison promoted the use of the electric
chair because it used DC, and he wanted everyone to be scared of how
dangerous DC is, so that they would use AC, which he'd be more than happy
to sell them!
Just a side bit of useless trivia
paul (doing a Cliff Clayborn(sp?) (from Cheers)immitation)
--
Paul F. Pearson (ppea...@hiwaay.net) http://home.hiwaay.net/~ppearson/
"Lord heal our land. Father heal our land. Hear our cry and turn our nation
back to You" - Heal Our Land, _Magnify The Lord_ (Integrity Music)
Edward Baggott
and Nikola Tesla was the AC empresario. There was an intense competition
between them to see which one would corner the electricity market.
If my memory is correct ("Nikola Tesla - Man Out of Time") Edison
was going around the country electrocuting dogs with AC to illustrate
how deadly it could be, as opposed to his more benign DC.
Also, at one time, Nikola Tesla had a contract which would have
provided him with a royalty of $1.00 for every AC streetlight that
got installed in the U.S.
It's been a while since I read the book though.
Yrs,
Ed
Paul F. Pearson <ppea...@HiWAAY.net> wrote:
: I heard somewhere that Thomas Edison promoted the use of the electric
eke...@hiwaay.net
"Paul F. Pearson" <ppea...@HiWAAY.net> wrote:
> >On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 15:07:35 -0500, Beth <sorn...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >> o Alabama still uses the electric chair for executions.
> >> Inhumane? Inefficient? Other methods?
>
> >Lethal injection is more humane but I don't have a problem
> >with the electric chair. It's probably more humane than
> >the way some murder victims have died.
>
> chair because it used DC, and he wanted everyone to be scared of how
> dangerous DC is, so that they would use AC, which he'd be more than happy
> to sell them!
I've always thought that the "choose your death" method proposed by Monty
Python in "The Meaning of Life" seemed pretty humane... chased off a cliff by
a gang of topless women. :-)
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with AC to show that the only good thing that AC was for was to kill folks.
Sure, DC is safer, but resistance gets it over long distances.
In article <a33r1BX...@pet.hiwaay.net>,
"Paul F. Pearson" <ppea...@HiWAAY.net> wrote:
> Carol Farquhar <car...@advicom.net> wrote:
> >On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 15:07:35 -0500, Beth <sorn...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >> o Alabama still uses the electric chair for executions.
> >> Inhumane? Inefficient? Other methods?
>
> >Lethal injection is more humane but I don't have a problem
> >with the electric chair. It's probably more humane than
> >the way some murder victims have died.
>
> I heard somewhere that Thomas Edison promoted the use of the electric
> chair because it used DC, and he wanted everyone to be scared of how
> dangerous DC is, so that they would use AC, which he'd be more than happy
> to sell them!
>
> Just a side bit of useless trivia
> paul (doing a Cliff Clayborn(sp?) (from Cheers)immitation)
>
> --
> Paul F. Pearson (ppea...@hiwaay.net) http://home.hiwaay.net/~ppearson/
> "Lord heal our land. Father heal our land. Hear our cry and turn our nation
> back to You" - Heal Our Land, _Magnify The Lord_ (Integrity Music)
>
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