« Yeah, like THAT is going to happen ... | Main | Church of the One Wing -- tin-ear acolytes »

July 23, 2005

Another poster boy for the death penality

The Good News

Erin Runnion addressed her daughter's killer in court Friday before a judge sentenced him to death. Alejandro Avila was convicted of murder, kidnapping and sexual assault in the 2002 slaying. A jury recommended the death penalty in May.

"For the temporary gratification of his lust, the defendant destroyed an entire family's future," Superior Court Judge William R. Froeberg said Friday. "He has forfeited his right to live."

Avila, a 30-year-old former factory worker, snatched the kicking and screaming girl as she played outside her Stanton home. Her nude body was found the next day about 50 miles away, left on the ground as if it had been posed. Authorities said she had been sexually assaulted and suffocated.

The bad news: The creature will be alive for at least the next 14-16 years as automatic appeals take place.

And Samantha will still be dead.

Posted by Darleen at July 23, 2005 11:12 AM

Comments

Emotional kneejerk response here, but the mother should have shot him in the courtroom.

Posted by: Kim at July 23, 2005 06:11 PM

Yeah, that's the solution. Kill kill kill. That will make it all better, I'm sure. Just what the fuck was Jesus tryin to do anyway, getting us to forgive one another? Fuck that shit-- just kill the bastards. All of them. We'll all feel much better. I'm sure.

Posted by: Brad at July 23, 2005 08:05 PM

Oh please Brad

DO enlighten us why a stone-cold murderer/rapist of a little girl should keep what he so wantonly took from her?

Or is life that CHEAP you no longer care about justice?

Posted by: Darleen at July 23, 2005 08:34 PM

Darleen,
Is life so cheap you no longer care about life?

Posted by: Brad at July 23, 2005 08:52 PM

Brad: Life is obviously cheap to you- as long as it belongs to a little girl.

Posted by: DaveP. at July 24, 2005 06:00 PM

Dave, all Brad said was, essentially, that "two wrongs don't make a right." Life in prison without parole (assuming truth in sentencing) would accomplish the same goal as blowing off the guy's head... and then there was that whole turn-the-other-cheek business of Jesus (unless you happened to be a money changer or a fig tree it seems).

Accusing him of not caring about the life of a little girl is just silly (it's not like he said the man should be free, free like the birds).

As for me, I'm against the death penalty in practice (but not in principle) because I don't feel our justice system is reliable enough to distribute a punishment from which there is no chance of return.

Posted by: andy at July 24, 2005 09:11 PM

I think a rapist and murderer should be put to death because we should be able to let our children move about in a safe and healthy community. Life in prison is cruel and unusual punishment for taxpaying citizens.

Posted by: joe at July 25, 2005 08:12 PM

I won't defend this guy. I think it's wonderful that Darleen has dug up this story to illustrate how important the death penalty is and why so many "Christians" have no problem defending it. I mean, this sick pervert probably wouldn't have done this if he knew there was a death penalty - oh, right, he probably did not. But know what? It didn't matter! Uh, it didn't save the child's life! And it won't hurt this animal to have a needle stuck in his arm and go to sleep either. He may even secretly crave that end.

The death penalty is useless but it does give constantly outraged wingnuts an illusion of power and moral righteousness. In today's America, that's what really counts. And having it constantly propounded by American-style faux christians only continues the bastardization of that once beautiful religion in this ignorant land.

Posted by: Louella at July 26, 2005 03:16 AM

Louella

Have I ever posited that the DP was a deterent?

No. It's about justice. It's about us, as a society, saying this is where one forfiets his/her right to something so wantonly, so despicably deprived of someone else of.

And the DP will prevent him from victimizing anyone ever again.

Posted by: Darleen at July 26, 2005 12:54 PM

I don't know you that well Darleen, except to have read some of your ramblings about how laws are society's codification of morality (which in your mind seems to be something determined by mob rule). Can you tell me? Are you one of those Christian poseurs? Most goopers are. How do GOP "Christians" rationalize the fact that more than half of their political agenda is an abomination to the word as preached in the New Testament Gospels? And why are they subjecting all the honest people in America to their bastardized religion and make-it-up-to-fit-your-ego morality? You've twisted Christianity to mean whatever makes you people feel superior to others while not actually requiring any intellectual or moral rigor.

Sure the dp stops the criminal. So does life in prison. The love affair of the right wing with the death penalty really just serves to clarify their moral decrepitude.

Posted by: MamaMabel at July 26, 2005 01:20 PM

You would have done exactly the same as this boy if you had the same felt needs and the same wrong beliefs as him.

I would say that Christ demands we give everyone person the opportunity to be transformed by the renewal of their minds.

The punishment for all sin is death and all are saved by the blood of God.

We all side with the devil by believing his lies. Just because the results of the lies you believe are less apparent are you any less guilty?

Posted by: Jeremy Bradley at July 27, 2005 05:41 PM

trying to prevent the next victim

http://dokich.blogspot.com

Posted by: its me at July 29, 2005 11:06 PM