Florida - impending execution of Richard Henyard

[London Lass]

FLORIDA----impending execution

High court urged to reject Eustis man's execution appeal


The state Attorney General's Office today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a last-minute appeal that would postpone Tuesday's scheduled execution of Richard Henyard, sentenced to death for the murder of 2 Lake County girls.

In a pair of filings submitted this morning to the nation's highest court, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Ake argued that Henyard's lawyers "failed to demonstrate any basis" for another review of the case. Henyard, 34, who has been on death row since 1994, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Florida State Prison.

He was sentenced to death for the murders of Jamilya Lewis, 7, and her sister, Jasmine, 3.

Henyard carjacked the girls and their mother, Dorothy Lewis, from a Winn-Dixie parking lot in Eustis on Jan. 30, 1993, raped and shot their mother in front of the girls and then shot the girls at close range and dumped their bodies "as if they were garbage," Assistant State Attorney Bill Gross said. Though shot in the head, Dorothy Lewis, a devout Christian, survived.

Ake outlined for the Justices the heartless nature of the crime, pointing out how Henyard had mocked Lewis as she beseeched Jesus for help - telling her "this ain't Jesus, this is Satan."

(source: Orlando Sentinel)

http://people.smu.edu/rhalperi/updates.html

[London Lass]

FLORIDA----execution

Child killer executed by lethal injection


Richard Henyard was executed by lethal injection tonight as the state carried out the death penalty against the 34-year-old Lake County man for the 1993 killings of 7-year-old Jamilya Lewis and her 3-year-old sister, Jasmine. Henyard was pronounced dead at 8:16 p.m.

Henyard was put to death at Florida State Prison after a delay of about 2 hours while authorities waited for a final U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a last-ditch appeal. The court denied requests for a stay.

Earlier in the day, Henyard was "somewhat quiet and withdrawn, but he is respectful," said Gretl Plessinger, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections.

A civil-rights lawyer who was appointed to represent him today had filed a new appeal with a federal appellate court in Atlanta. Henyard had brought a civil-rights complaint this morning in federal court, alleging that the state's "execution team" lacks training and could cause him to suffer a painful death if they "fail to properly insert the IV's as they did in (Angel) Diaz." Diaz' botched execution in Dec. 2006 caused the state to temporarily halt executions.

Henyard wrote the complaint by hand, assisted by Mark S. Gruber, who has handled his death appeals for the state-funded Capital Collateral Regional Commission. It also alleged "The drugs that will be used by the Department of Corrections have been known to cause excruciating pain."

The state Supreme Court has ruled that challenging the death-penalty procedure is beyond the scope of the Capital Collateral Regional Commission, whose job is to handle trial-related appeals.

Henyard was sentenced to death for the 1993 murders of the Eustis sisters, who were carjacked along with their mother from a grocery store parking lot by Henyard and a juvenile accomplice, Alfonza Smalls. Henyard and Smalls took turns raping the girls' mother before shooting her 4 times. Prosecutors said Henyard then shot the girls as they cried out "Mommy." The girls' mother, Dorothy Lewis, survived, though she was shot between the eyes.

Smalls was too young to receive the death penalty. He is serving consecutive life terms for the crimes.

Plessinger said Dorothy Lewis' husband, Hugh Brockington, was among family members who were granted permission to witness the execution.

Henyard met late this afternoon with his spiritual advisor, Is-Hak Saddique, a muslim cleric. Henyard became a Muslim while in prison, Plessinger said.

Henyard becomes the 2nd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Florida and the 66th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1979.

Henyard becomes the 23rd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1122nd overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

(sources: Orlando Sentinel & Rick Halperin)

http://people.smu.edu/rhalperi/updates.html