Dead Man Walking: Utah execution by firing squad on June 18 (not at the Pie)

[TripletDaddy]

no, BBB is correct, only one blank. And the kick is different. They always know.

I could easily be wrong about the number of guys, but I thought it was more than 5.

Beelzebabette's 4 real/1 blank sounds better to me, too. Go easy on me, I'm a ladykiller, I don't deal with males!

The article specifically states that the firing squads are made up of five shooters, so that is where I got that number.

Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, was given the choice of being killed by lethal injection or shot by a five-man team of executioners firing from a set of matched rifles, a rarely used relic that harkens back to Utah's territorial history.

Not sure why he would choose to be shot instead of a simple injection and release of a needle, but I guess this finally settles the age old debate: 5 Guys >>> In and Out.

[SoonerCoug]

According to my Chinese colleagues, they prefer to shoot people in the back of the head with a handgun. Apparently they are able to carry out death sentences almost instantly after sentencing.

[creekster]

States typically split the lethal injection into separate tasks as well. As I said before, it's never been about protecting the execution participant from guilt but rather a certain level of deniability for these individuals from outside scrutiny.

Not sure abotu this one. Back in the 80s they were volunteer positions from some branch of law enforcement (I forget which one) and they all ahd to qualfiy as marksmen or whatever the law enforcemnt types do (a merit badge? a black belt?). The identies of the shooters was never recorded or known. Moreover, if you wnated to avenge a death by going after the excutioners, would you really stop becaseu you weren't sure who had the blank? Seems doubtful. Instead, I was told it was about leaving doubt wiht the shooters as to if thye had done it or not.

They use multiple shooters becasue they want to make sure the shot is fatal. 4 slugs in your chest pretty much explodes your heart and it is over PDQ>

[beelzebabette]

Not sure abotu this one. Back in the 80s they were volunteer positions from some branch of law enforcement (I forget which one) and they all ahd to qualfiy as marksmen or whatever the law enforcemnt types do (a merit badge? a black belt?). The identies of the shooters was never recorded or known. Moreover, if you wnated to avenge a death by going after the excutioners, would you really stop becaseu you weren't sure who had the blank? Seems doubtful. Instead, I was told it was about leaving doubt wiht the shooters as to if thye had done it or not.

I'll readily confess I could be wrong on this one. It happens often.

What you described covers the safety issue of retribution which I think is what you're reading into my use of the term deniability. My intent was more to convey the idea that it's a conversation killer to respond with dumb questions with, "I don't know. Mine was the blank."

I don't have an emotional investment in being right. I was just trying to convey what I took away from learning someone I knew was on firing squads.

[Babs]

any guesses as to the only other state that allows for firing squad as a method of execution?

[old_gregg]

texas?

[Uncle Ted]

WHy not a guillotine? faster, less painful and you could program a release by a machine.

Also, with the guillotine you could still harvest all the organs from the guy. Firing squad, electrocution, and lethal injection all make a mess of things. It seems to me that a lot people on the donor list wouldn't care who the donor was if they were in desperate need of a new part.

[Uncle Ted]

any guesses as to the only other state that allows for firing squad as a method of execution?

It seems like Idaho and Nevada use to have firing squad as an option. It's not Texas.

[SoonerCoug]

It's Oklahoma.

[beelzebabette]

Also, with the guillotine you could still harvest all organs from the guy. Firing squad, electrocution, and lethal injection all make a mess of things. It seems to me that a lot people on the donor list wouldn't care who the donor was if they were in desperate need of a new part.

Interesting concept. Just supposing... I wouldn't anticipate there's a lot of death row inmates that would volunteer those organs, though, and I'm not down with forced donation regardless of what crime got the inmate to that point. That's ignoring any other diseases, risk factors that would preclude the donation anyway.

[Babs]

It's Oklahoma.

yes, thank you. The two reddest states in the Union.

I actually just learned this from BBCNews today, when they were doing their five minute international news bulletin at the top of the hour. "And the United States expects to see its first execution by firing squad in more than fourteen years, as a condemned man in Utah..."

[TripletDaddy]

The article stated that Oklahoma is the other state. It also stated that the execution squads consist of 5 people.

I think people aren't reading the articles. This wouldn't be happening if everyone had a convenient iPad.

[Babs]

I think people aren't reading the articles. This wouldn't be happening if everyone had a convenient iPad.

Or if people actually paid any attention to anything you post. ha!

iPads and touchscreen phones creep me out. All those fingerprints.

[landpoke]

Putting aside the morality of capital punishment, the undertone here seems to be that a firing squad is somehow more barbaric than lethal injection. I suppose it might be, but only by a matter of degrees. It's not like Utah and Oklahoma allow execution by crucifixion or ling chi.

As a side note, I have always heard that the reason Utah still has a firing squad option is that whole blood atonement deal the predominate religious subculture of the state believes (or believed?) in. True or false?

[SoonerCoug]

Or if people actually paid any attention to anything you post. ha!

iPads and touchscreen phones creep me out. All those fingerprints.

All you have to do is rub the screen on your garments occasionally and the screen is good as new.