On leave from the violence he had survived in the war in Iraq, a young Marine was so wary of crime on the streets of his own home town that he carried only $8 to avoid becoming a robbery target.
Lance Cpl. Robert Crutchfield was attacked on January 5 while he and his girlfriend were waiting for a bus. He had heeded the warnings of commanders that a Marine on leave might be seen as a prime robbery target with a pocketful of money, so he only carried $8, his military ID card and a bank card.
“They took it, turned his pockets inside out, took what he had and told him since he was a Marine and didn’t have any money he didn’t deserve to live. They put the gun to his neck and shot him…”
Feeding and breathing tubes kept him alive 4½ months, until he died of an infection on May 18…
The two men charged in the attack were identified as Ean Farrow, 19, and Thomas Ray III, 20, both of Cleveland. Their attorneys did not respond to The Associated Press’ requests for comment.
This is why I don’t have an all-encompassing position on capital punishment. I feel, case-by-case, we have to consider protecting the public, legitimate likelihood of rehabbing an offender, a number of qualities including aspects as dry as cost-benefit ratios.
And, then, there’s justice.
cost to benefit ratio is a great idea. But I agree, theres no easy magic bullet for capital punishment, case by case is the best solution.
I’m sorry, but I still didn’t hear a convincing argument for capital punishment.
The reality is that it’s more expensive than imprisoning a person for life without parole, possibly inhumane due to the paralyzing drugs, and it has been shown time and time again that even with the extensive appeals process many innocent people wind up on death row and may die before new evidence can come to light.
It seems to me that life imprisonment is a pretty harsh consequence, and the slight amount of extra “justice” recieved by taking another human life hardly seems to justify the negatives expressed above.
Capital Punishment seems to fit this crime very well.
That’s why we need to make the process faster, not letting them sit in prison appealing, especially if it’s a clear cut case. I’m talking about instances where the person either says they did it, or there’s all kinds of evidence they did it, no doubt, not the cases where there is doubt.
I got some justice to dispense to these low life sons a bitches. Start by shootin them both in the knee caps. Then shoot them both in the balls. Then throw them in a pit of hungry lions.
Toss the fuckers in Iraq with I (heart) George Bush tattooed on their foreheads.
@ UNKN
the case you are describing already works as you state it should.
If someone is pleading guilty, they don’t often challenge their own plea through the appeals process.
It’s a very rare case for a person to plead guilty and recieve a death sentence, as most people recieve some reduction in sentance as reward for their plea.
In the real world the somewhat ambiguous is much more common.
Even if you only applied this “shortened” process to “clear cut” cases you would still be executing many innocents. Most of the people who have been released by DNA investigations around the country were identified by multiple eye-witnesses. So the definition of “clear cut” is questionable at best.
#4 – Exactly the reason we are supposed to have a dispassionate judicial system. There is no place for emotions in justice.
Don’t get me wrong… I’d pull the trigger on these guys myself. That’s why I oppose capital punishment and believe in a blind system of impartial justice. It’s exactly so that justice isn’t replaced by vengeance.
For convicted murders, 3 Months in prison max. Then administer a mild sedative and slit both wrists the long way. This is the way it should be so they can think about what they have done while they bleed out on a concrete floor.
>.For convicted murders, 3 Months in
>>prison max…blah blah blah.
Yeah, and then after 4 months we find out they’re innocent.
Damn. We hate when that happens, don’t we?
Word on the street is that a service member in uniform is caring a woad of money and are easy picking? The middle east is not a Mexican resort town.
>>I got some justice to dispense to
>>these low life sons a bitches.
Whoa! You be one hawd-ass muthafuckah, dawg! Put a cap in they balls! Word up! Whoa!
But what up wif da ones who dint do da crime? And y’all only finds out AFTAH ya capped ’em in the ‘nads?
Woopsie.
>>Toss the fuckers in Iraq with I (heart)
>>George Bush tattooed on their foreheads.
Seems to me that having “I (heart) George Bush” tattooed on their foreheads would be enough punishment.
They’d be treated like lepers until the day they died.
Mister Mustard, your “What about the innocent people” pleas will always fall on deaf ears.
People who hear about horrible things are MAD and they want VENGENCE in the name of justice. They want blood to pay for blood…and NOW. The fact that it might be the wrong person’s blood is entirely beside the point.
Send ’em to Gitmo.
Then tell the Marine guards at Gitmo why they were sent there.
Then wait 3 minutes.
So they killed him for being a Marine?
There will always be those in favor of near immediate capital punishment. And those who desire some torturous punishment in addition to or in lieu of. These are the same crackers that insist we all need a handgun to protect ourselves and then wonder why there is so much violence today.
You are the cause of the problem morans.
Maybe you should be sure you can actually spell the word “moron” before you call someone else a “moran”.
As for capital punishment, case by case would suit me fine, but life imprisonment with no parole is a worse punishment.
Some idiot belched: “These are the same crackers that insist we all need a handgun to protect ourselves and then wonder why there is so much violence today.”
I am beside myself with laughter, naive child.
Seems to me a “vacation” at Camp Lejeune for these two would be just right. Maybe they could be target holders on the rifle range.
Capital punishment is too quick and easy for these bastards. Let ’em rot for 60+ years.
I think the reason people tend to favor capital punishment over life in prison in these cases is that, lets be honest prison is not the scary place it should be to thugs like these. Hell they have probably already been in and out a few times.
You anti-capital punishment people want to end capital punishment? Then find a way to make life in prison a very scary proposition, not just an inconvenient one.
For no doubt convicted murderers (these are the ones that would have been executed), throw them into a small sound proof cell, with a small window, and never let the out again. You feed them generic tasteless food, through a food slot and force them to watch the 700 club 12 hours a day on their small black and white TV. Oh yah, and you give them a rope, if they decide they want to end their own life, then you let them. Of course this would be cruel, and the ACLU would never let it stand.
honestly I am FOR capital punishment, but only as an eye for an eye. In my belief only murder should put you under the needle / guillotine . Crooks don’t fear going to jail. Shit it’s glorified in some circles and rap videos.
Wow, that made me angry.
Im surprised that no one us blaming Muslims and Islam for that. Gee, what’s with these American people.
I dunno. Do you really think that Marines on leave should be given the death penalty?
#26;
Why not? Sounds like a lot of people here don’t care if innocents are wrongly killed anyways.
I am astounded at the vindictive and reactionary attitude taken by so many commenters here. Read the entire article. There is no mention of evidence or probability, the only thing linking these two men to the crime (that we know of) is that they have been charged. I don’t know an reason why they should not be tried and either acquitted or convicted. In the event of a conviction I still do not think that death or torture are appropriate. The purpose of prison is not to seek revenge on criminals but to keep them away from the rest of society. Any action taken further than life in prison is acrimonious.
I also do not understand why the character of the victim should play an role in sentencing. It is sad that such a seemingly wholesome individual was killed, should we take the change that he could be best remembered for the wrongful execution of his alleged murders?
There can be no certainty of guilt in any case. Not even a guilty plea is good enough in my opinion. It hardly seems fitting to deal an irreversible punishment to someone who’s guilt cannot be proved beyond a doubt. Retaliation and vengeance are ugly things that only serve to lower your entire nation to the level of the criminals you claim to be protecting the world from.
Life in prison without parole. I am mad. >=[
#29–Noel, while I basically agree==what is the appropriate response to a convicted mass murderer who kills while he is in jail?
And if you have the interest, which is more cruel–solitary confinement for life, or a quick death of your choice?