Post by Anja Nieser on Oct 1, 2006 5:51:30 GMT -5
Brother of Unabomber slams death penalty----Before a state panel, David
Kaczynski and others called for an end to capital punishment.
The brother of the Unabomber yesterday told a special New Jersey
commission studying capital punishment that the death sentence should be
abolished.
David Kaczynski, who turned in Theodore Kaczynski to the FBI 10 years ago,
spoke of his painful decision to go to authorities and his gratefulness
that his brother's life was spared.
He also pointed to his brother as an example of how the death penalty is
not fairly imposed.
"His life was spared because he had great lawyers," David Kaczynski told
the panel.
Acting on information from the family, FBI agents arrested Theodore
Kaczynski at his Montana cabin in April 1996 for a string of package
bombings that killed three people and injured 23 from 1978 to 1995.
The panel also heard from the first death-row inmate to be exonerated by
DNA evidence, Kirk Bloodsworth, who detailed the physical abuse he
received in prison while branded a child-killer.
"Prison life is worse than the death penalty," he told the panel.
Bloodsworth was wrongly convicted twice of raping and bludgeoning a
9-year-old Maryland girl to death. He was cleared by DNA testing after
spending nine years in prison, including two on death row.
The panel has until Nov. 15 to submit its recommendations to Gov. Corzine
and the New Jersey Legislature on what it believes should be done with the
death penalty.
The state has 9 men on death row, but the legislation that created the
commission imposed a moratorium on executions until after the panel
completes its work.
New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982, though it hasn't executed
anyone since 1963.
(source: Associated Press)
Kaczynski and others called for an end to capital punishment.
The brother of the Unabomber yesterday told a special New Jersey
commission studying capital punishment that the death sentence should be
abolished.
David Kaczynski, who turned in Theodore Kaczynski to the FBI 10 years ago,
spoke of his painful decision to go to authorities and his gratefulness
that his brother's life was spared.
He also pointed to his brother as an example of how the death penalty is
not fairly imposed.
"His life was spared because he had great lawyers," David Kaczynski told
the panel.
Acting on information from the family, FBI agents arrested Theodore
Kaczynski at his Montana cabin in April 1996 for a string of package
bombings that killed three people and injured 23 from 1978 to 1995.
The panel also heard from the first death-row inmate to be exonerated by
DNA evidence, Kirk Bloodsworth, who detailed the physical abuse he
received in prison while branded a child-killer.
"Prison life is worse than the death penalty," he told the panel.
Bloodsworth was wrongly convicted twice of raping and bludgeoning a
9-year-old Maryland girl to death. He was cleared by DNA testing after
spending nine years in prison, including two on death row.
The panel has until Nov. 15 to submit its recommendations to Gov. Corzine
and the New Jersey Legislature on what it believes should be done with the
death penalty.
The state has 9 men on death row, but the legislation that created the
commission imposed a moratorium on executions until after the panel
completes its work.
New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982, though it hasn't executed
anyone since 1963.
(source: Associated Press)