Bonin on Death Row

* Re “ ‘Freeway Killer’ May Finally Face Execution,” Jan. 6:

I am outraged that you would elect to report that despite 14 years on death row his lawyer says that William Bonin “is concerned but his spirits are good.”

As a member of the 1981 grand jury that handed down a murder indictment on Bonin, I have a clear recall of his testimony.

The murder involved a young boy of about 12 who was planning a trip to Disneyland on his birthday. He came to the home of his sister who lived across town to collect some unused tickets, which were used for Disneyland rides in those days. While waiting for a bus to take him to Disneyland, Bonin came along and offered to give him a ride to the park.

What followed was extensive sexual abuse and the murder of the innocent child by strangulation. A T-shirt was used as garrote, twisted by use of a tire iron until the child was dead.

And your reporter related that despite all Bonin has been subjected to during these 14 years by the criminal justice system, his lawyer says that his spirits are good!

CHARLES C. BENNETT

Huntington Beach