Life The Death Penalty - Page 22

Mama Hip Rockets · 08-07-2008, 09:48 AM

A friend of my parents is sentenced to be executed in a couple of weeks for being an accomplice in a murder in 1994. You can read the details of the incident below (written by his wife), and sign the petition if you feel inclined to do so. We are petitioning for his sentence to be changed to life in prison without parole, rather than death.

On Friday, despite the fact that we have two issues before the court, the Missouri Supreme Court set an execution date of Aug. 27. For those of you who would like to do anything to help try to prevent this state from killing my husband, your help is welcome and there are some fairly simple things you can do. For those who are not aware of the facts of the case, here are some main points:Allen Nicklasson, the man who shot and killed Richard Drummond in Aug. 1994 did so on his own after leaving Dennis behind in the stolen car. Allen has been consistent in telling the truth since day one - with his friends and close acquaintances, as well as with law enforcement - that Dennis had absolutely no idea that when Allen walked Drummond into the woods, Allen was going to shoot him. Allen had planned to tie Drummond up so that by the time Drummond could free himself and walk into town to all police, Allen, Dennis and Tim DeGraffenreid would be back in Blue Springs, hiding out.Instead, Allen decided to kill Drummond. His statements to police have been consistent and truthful, but the state successfully kept Allen from testifying in trial. The jury never heard the truth and thus convicted Dennis for first-degree murder as an accomplice. Allen has tried through the years to be heard in court, but the appellate courts denied him that right as well. We are still trying to get the Supreme Court to look at Allen's statements. Dennis is not an innocent victim, but he is innocent of first-degree murder. We are not asking that he be freed. We believe the sentence of death is excessive in this case, and that society would be safe and justice would be served through clemency, which means we want the governor to change Dennis' sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.In addition, Dennis has been actively involved in restorative justice even before the program was established at Potosi Correctional Center. He is the editor of Compassion, a publication written and edited by death row inmates across the country who have raised more than $34,000 in college scholarships for family members of murdered victims. This scholarship goes to family members regardless of their stance on the death penalty. For example, Zach Osbourne, one of the recipients, supports the death penalty openly and is going to school to become a police officer. Dennis compiled a book, "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams," that is distributed for free to juvenile centers around the country. The book has been so popular, he has been asked to do another. That book is currently being compiled.Dennis is chairman of the prison's Hospice group and has cared for many dying prison patients through the years. He is a co-founder of 4-H LIFE, a family strengthening program that teaches inmates to be better parents and includes a family 4-H meeting each month inside the prison. As a former president and officer of 4-H, Dennis has led fundraisers to send money to children's programs in the state and to send 4-H LIFE members to summer camp and state leadership programs. 4-H LIFE has won several awards and is now active in several other prisons.Dennis has actively worked to build bridges between the Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Islamic and Native American religious groups at the prison. He is a founder of the Charity Carnival - in its second year - that raises money inside the prison for charitable organizations. The carnival is today, but he is locked up and cannot carry out his responsibilities for that event.Dennis speaks to university student groups on a regular basis to give them insight into the death penalty and prison life. He is, and remains, a positive spokesman and positive role models for other prisoners.He is a leader in the Set Free Ministry, a prison ministry that works with thousands of inmates in Missouri and Illinois to help them in their Christian walk. The Ministry has grown from an office of three to an office of around 20 inmates at PCC and a second office in Charleston's prison. The Ministry continues to expand in prisons in the two states as well as into jails.All of this is documented, not the exaggerated account of a wife desperate to save her husband.For those of you who have asked, I am terrified, but determined to fight for justice for my family. Murdering my husband is not justice - it is harming me, my son, Dennis' sisters, brother, nephews, aunts uncles, friends, etc. He is my soulmate, for those of you who understand what that means. A date is an extremely serious situation, but we have issues to pursue and this does not mean we're done. Please do not assume that this is inevitable, even though we have a very, very difficult fight in the next 32 days.I appreciate your support in any way. Should you want to write letters, file amicus briefs (friend of the court) with your church or other organization, let me know and I'll give you more info. If you choose to pray, please ask God to intervene and see that Dennis receives a lesser sentence.Thanks.

You can sign the petition at the link below. Thanks.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-dennis-skillicorn

RibKing67 · 08-07-2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJ

That, and the exorbitant cost. We spend millions upon millions of dollars trying to put people to death, far more than it costs to lock them away for life.

I was going to go the other way till I read this and say that it would be cheaper to go ahead and off him instead of housing him in prisons that are already full and feeding him and providing medical and dental care and and and all the things that my tax dollars pay for.
I would like to know what the cost is per year to house a convict on death row is VS. The legal costs to put him to death.
I am of the opinion that once convicted and sentenced to death you get one chance at an appeal and then your sentance should be carried out swiftly as to not waste extra tax dollars to keep you alive on death row for long periods of time. I have heard of inmates on death row for some 20 yrs. WHY?

**Lzen** · 08-08-2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

I spank my son when it's necessary.
I don't spare the rod.

Perhaps I was a little too harsh in my initial judgement of you. Sounds like you might be a decent fellow just a little too soft in this guy, IMO. You have a strong opposition to the death penalty while I have strong support for the death penalty. We will just have to agree to disagree.

Demonpenz · 08-08-2008, 08:25 AM

atleast micjones music is fly! I need to get me a cd and bump it in my prelude!

**Lzen** · 08-08-2008, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jilly

Justice is for the ones who are still alive, the family of the victims...my argument is what THEY need is justice, not vengeance because those two things are not the same thing, imo.

You are completely wrong. The reason for things like prison and the death penalty is not for revenge. It is for justice and a deterrent for others. I hear in Iran that hey cut off your hand if you get caught stealing. Do you think they have much problems with thefts?

eazyb81 · 08-08-2008, 08:35 AM

The thread that won't die.

**RockChalk** · 08-08-2008, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyb81

The thread that won't die.

Ironic isn't it?

RJ · 08-08-2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RibKing67

I was going to go the other way till I read this and say that it would be cheaper to go ahead and off him instead of housing him in prisons that are already full and feeding him and providing medical and dental care and and and all the things that my tax dollars pay for.
I would like to know what the cost is per year to house a convict on death row is VS. The legal costs to put him to death.
I am of the opinion that once convicted and sentenced to death you get one chance at an appeal and then your sentance should be carried out swiftly as to not waste extra tax dollars to keep you alive on death row for long periods of time. I have heard of inmates on death row for some 20 yrs. WHY?

I suppose it would be cheaper to kill them than to jail them if they only had one shot at an appeal, but I can't see that ever happening, nor do I think I'd want it to. Sure, some cases are really cut and dried, but not all of them.

There's obviously lots of info out there on the cost of the death penalty. here's a piece from one site, and a link. And again, I'm not in favor of leniency to murderers, it's just that the death penalty is in many ways impractical and every now and then just flat out wrong.

http://www.fnsa.org/v1n1/dieter1.html

For the states which employ the death penalty, this luxury comes at a high price. In Texas, a death penalty case costs taxpayers an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years.(3) In Florida, each execution is costing the state $3.2 million.(4) In financially strapped California, one report estimated that the state could save $90 million each year by abolishing capital punishment.(5) The New York Department of Correctional Services estimated that implementing the death penalty would cost the state about $118 million annually.(6)

eazyb81 · 08-08-2008, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJ

There's obviously lots of info out there on the cost of the death penalty. here's a piece from one site, and a link. And again, I'm not in favor of leniency to murderers, it's just that the death penalty is in many ways impractical and every now and then just flat out wrong.

http://www.fnsa.org/v1n1/dieter1.html

For the states which employ the death penalty, this luxury comes at a high price. In Texas, a death penalty case costs taxpayers an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years.(3) In Florida, each execution is costing the state $3.2 million.(4) In financially strapped California, one report estimated that the state could save $90 million each year by abolishing capital punishment.(5) The New York Department of Correctional Services estimated that implementing the death penalty would cost the state about $118 million annually.(6)

Again, the point has been made numerous times in this discussion that stats like these simply point out the inefficiency of the US Penal System, rather than an argument against the death penalty. We could easily adjust the system to make each execution cost the price of a bullet.

These figures do nothing for the anti-death penalty side.

RJ · 08-08-2008, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Again, the point has been made numerous times in this discussion that stats like these simply point out the inefficiency of the US Penal System, rather than an argument against the death penalty. We could easily adjust the system to make each execution cost the price of a bullet.

These figures do nothing for the anti-death penalty side.

I'm not really on a side. I'm more of a pragmatist than an idealist. If we could in fact "easily" make that adjustment I'd love to hear about it. But I think it would probably be anything but easy.

kchero · 08-08-2008, 10:53 AM

Not signing here, innocent lives were lost and the man had a choice in the matter.

**Rausch** · 08-08-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kchero

Not signing here, innocent lives were lost and the man had a choice in the matter.

His name should not be first on the list but it should be on it.

The shining glory of the ME to this day IMHO is "Hammurabi's Law."

What you sacrifice should be equal to what you've taken...

KCKID58 · 08-08-2008, 12:05 PM

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. I say fry the b*stard !!!

Duck Dog · 08-08-2008, 01:08 PM

Where's the petition to send this guy to the chair?

My uncle was murdered (premeditated) by two guys about 5-6 years ago. They beat and kicked him to death. They also tried to beat and kick my cousin to death too, but failed. The last words my cousin heard his dad say were, "please stop kicking me."

This happened in Missouri and neither received the death penalty. They don't just hand out the death penalty to anyone. You have to do more than deserve it.

jennilyn · 08-22-2008, 01:43 PM

Thurman the letter you posted "by his wife" was written by a woman who once put her arms around my mother and shared words of condolence. The woman who wrote this letter was once a Kansas City news reporter. She covered the murder of Richard Drummond. The woman who worte this letter also stood in the court room when I stood merely inches behind her then husband (why she chose to marry a man who was being tried for 3 murders I will never understand) and begged the judge show no leinancy for Dennis Skillicorn's crimes of murdering my aunt and uncle. I spoke that day for my family, for my aunt and for my uncle. Honestly with that said how can you even think about requesting signatures on a case I imagine you do not know ALL the facts to written by a woman who was once appauled by this mans actions?

Sorry but it is petitions like this one that sicken me. The date of exectution ironically was set to be on the date He murdered Charlene and Joe Babcock.
The stay was granted... my family is sick over it. A man who participates in five murders...deserves no stay... no clemency... no bs letters written for him.

Thanks to all you who have the ability to see beyond this pathetic.. "pitty my murderer husband letter".
Guess you can bet I wont be signing this petition.

Frazod · 08-22-2008, 01:52 PM

That sucks. All these do-gooder anti-death penalty morons should be locked in a room with the people they're trying to save for a couple of days. I'd bet any who survive the experience would change their tune in big damn hurry. And if none survive, that's OK, too.

What was the basis of the stay, and for how long?

08-07-2008, 09:48 AM
Mama Hip Rockets You don't faze me, Gobble. Join Date: Dec 2005 Casino cash: $9915644	The Death Penalty A friend of my parents is sentenced to be executed in a couple of weeks for being an accomplice in a murder in 1994. You can read the details of the incident below (written by his wife), and sign the petition if you feel inclined to do so. We are petitioning for his sentence to be changed to life in prison without parole, rather than death. On Friday, despite the fact that we have two issues before the court, the Missouri Supreme Court set an execution date of Aug. 27. For those of you who would like to do anything to help try to prevent this state from killing my husband, your help is welcome and there are some fairly simple things you can do. For those who are not aware of the facts of the case, here are some main points:Allen Nicklasson, the man who shot and killed Richard Drummond in Aug. 1994 did so on his own after leaving Dennis behind in the stolen car. Allen has been consistent in telling the truth since day one - with his friends and close acquaintances, as well as with law enforcement - that Dennis had absolutely no idea that when Allen walked Drummond into the woods, Allen was going to shoot him. Allen had planned to tie Drummond up so that by the time Drummond could free himself and walk into town to all police, Allen, Dennis and Tim DeGraffenreid would be back in Blue Springs, hiding out.Instead, Allen decided to kill Drummond. His statements to police have been consistent and truthful, but the state successfully kept Allen from testifying in trial. The jury never heard the truth and thus convicted Dennis for first-degree murder as an accomplice. Allen has tried through the years to be heard in court, but the appellate courts denied him that right as well. We are still trying to get the Supreme Court to look at Allen's statements. Dennis is not an innocent victim, but he is innocent of first-degree murder. We are not asking that he be freed. We believe the sentence of death is excessive in this case, and that society would be safe and justice would be served through clemency, which means we want the governor to change Dennis' sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.In addition, Dennis has been actively involved in restorative justice even before the program was established at Potosi Correctional Center. He is the editor of Compassion, a publication written and edited by death row inmates across the country who have raised more than $34,000 in college scholarships for family members of murdered victims. This scholarship goes to family members regardless of their stance on the death penalty. For example, Zach Osbourne, one of the recipients, supports the death penalty openly and is going to school to become a police officer. Dennis compiled a book, "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams," that is distributed for free to juvenile centers around the country. The book has been so popular, he has been asked to do another. That book is currently being compiled.Dennis is chairman of the prison's Hospice group and has cared for many dying prison patients through the years. He is a co-founder of 4-H LIFE, a family strengthening program that teaches inmates to be better parents and includes a family 4-H meeting each month inside the prison. As a former president and officer of 4-H, Dennis has led fundraisers to send money to children's programs in the state and to send 4-H LIFE members to summer camp and state leadership programs. 4-H LIFE has won several awards and is now active in several other prisons.Dennis has actively worked to build bridges between the Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Islamic and Native American religious groups at the prison. He is a founder of the Charity Carnival - in its second year - that raises money inside the prison for charitable organizations. The carnival is today, but he is locked up and cannot carry out his responsibilities for that event.Dennis speaks to university student groups on a regular basis to give them insight into the death penalty and prison life. He is, and remains, a positive spokesman and positive role models for other prisoners.He is a leader in the Set Free Ministry, a prison ministry that works with thousands of inmates in Missouri and Illinois to help them in their Christian walk. The Ministry has grown from an office of three to an office of around 20 inmates at PCC and a second office in Charleston's prison. The Ministry continues to expand in prisons in the two states as well as into jails.All of this is documented, not the exaggerated account of a wife desperate to save her husband.For those of you who have asked, I am terrified, but determined to fight for justice for my family. Murdering my husband is not justice - it is harming me, my son, Dennis' sisters, brother, nephews, aunts uncles, friends, etc. He is my soulmate, for those of you who understand what that means. A date is an extremely serious situation, but we have issues to pursue and this does not mean we're done. Please do not assume that this is inevitable, even though we have a very, very difficult fight in the next 32 days.I appreciate your support in any way. Should you want to write letters, file amicus briefs (friend of the court) with your church or other organization, let me know and I'll give you more info. If you choose to pray, please ask God to intervene and see that Dennis receives a lesser sentence.Thanks. You can sign the petition at the link below. Thanks. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/help-dennis-skillicorn
Posts: 13,675

08-08-2008, 08:25 AM	#318
Demonpenz Woman should only make babies Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $-493864	atleast micjones music is fly! I need to get me a cd and bump it in my prelude! __________________
Posts: 54,962

08-08-2008, 08:35 AM	#320
eazyb81 The Illuminati Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: the road less traveled Casino cash: $9984900	The thread that won't die.
Posts: 12,033

08-08-2008, 10:53 AM	#325
kchero Veteran Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Casino cash: $9978240	Not signing here, innocent lives were lost and the man had a choice in the matter.
Posts: 1,731

08-08-2008, 12:05 PM	#327
KCKID58 I am that man from Nantucket Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: RICHMOND VA Casino cash: $9947734	Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. I say fry the b*stard !!! __________________
Posts: 372

08-08-2008, 01:08 PM	#328
Duck Dog Reap the whirlwind Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Olathe Casino cash: $10004900	Where's the petition to send this guy to the chair? My uncle was murdered (premeditated) by two guys about 5-6 years ago. They beat and kicked him to death. They also tried to beat and kick my cousin to death too, but failed. The last words my cousin heard his dad say were, "please stop kicking me." This happened in Missouri and neither received the death penalty. They don't just hand out the death penalty to anyone. You have to do more than deserve it.
Posts: 8,902

08-22-2008, 01:43 PM	#329
jennilyn Rookie Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $10004900	Thurman the letter you posted "by his wife" was written by a woman who once put her arms around my mother and shared words of condolence. The woman who wrote this letter was once a Kansas City news reporter. She covered the murder of Richard Drummond. The woman who worte this letter also stood in the court room when I stood merely inches behind her then husband (why she chose to marry a man who was being tried for 3 murders I will never understand) and begged the judge show no leinancy for Dennis Skillicorn's crimes of murdering my aunt and uncle. I spoke that day for my family, for my aunt and for my uncle. Honestly with that said how can you even think about requesting signatures on a case I imagine you do not know ALL the facts to written by a woman who was once appauled by this mans actions? Sorry but it is petitions like this one that sicken me. The date of exectution ironically was set to be on the date He murdered Charlene and Joe Babcock. The stay was granted... my family is sick over it. A man who participates in five murders...deserves no stay... no clemency... no bs letters written for him. Thanks to all you who have the ability to see beyond this pathetic.. "pitty my murderer husband letter". Guess you can bet I wont be signing this petition.
Posts: 10

08-22-2008, 01:52 PM	#330
Frazod Did you hear what I said? Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-896615	That sucks. All these do-gooder anti-death penalty morons should be locked in a room with the people they're trying to save for a couple of days. I'd bet any who survive the experience would change their tune in big damn hurry. And if none survive, that's OK, too. What was the basis of the stay, and for how long?
Posts: 121,810