Debate Over Death Penalty

Re “Killer of 3 Executed as Final Appeal Is Rejected”:

“He is going through this terrible, terrible process of watching the clock move to the month, the day and the minute of his death,” said Michael Kroll, spokesman for the defense team.

What about the three victims? They also went through the terrible process of “watching the clock” move toward their deaths.

More than two years ago, my niece was killed “execution style” in Long Beach. If they were able to locate the person(s) who did this to her, I would welcome their execution. Why is our society and court system willing to enable a convicted criminal (of murder, no less) to be in custody for 17 years before he’s executed?

NANCY B. CAVIN

Anaheim

* Keith Daniel Williams has just been executed. Now we can all feel safer. We can feel proud that we’ve saved the state money by not having to support him for the rest of his life, and we are grateful that the victims’ families can now have resolution that the death of their loved ones is avenged.

Except for several minor problems: The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Death Penalty Focus and Families of Victims Against the Death Penalty agree that in reality: 1) homicides and violence are greater in states that have the death penalty, and that this increased violence generally occurs just after executions; 2) it is infinitely more expensive to carry out the court and execution process than to maintain a system wherein people who are convicted of murder automatically get life without parole; 3) resolution and release do not come from revenge but from forgiveness.

JEAN K. GLASSER

Van Nuys