The terrible people in society who commit atrocious acts, typical of any horror movie,
are sentenced by some states’ courts to the death penalty once they are caught.
Whether by lethal injection, firing squad or the old-fashioned electric chair, this
way of purging society of weeds generates controversy and debate among those who consider
it inhumane to take a life, even if that person has done it more than once, yet this punishment
is still in force in several states and countries around the world.
Today we will join the guilty party and some innocent people whom the state has concluded
do not deserve to continue living based on their criminal charges.
Welcome to Copernicus’s Galaxy.
Road to Death Row
Normally the time a criminal has to wait between the court’s verdict and the execution of
his sentence is surprisingly longer than many of us think.
Commonly, the process for each death row inmate takes at least 20 years due to all of the
appeals.
In the event that none of the attempts to change the court's decision have been successful
and the dreaded day arrives, the prisoner will be moved out of his cell at 8 a.m., but
not before being thoroughly searched to make sure that he does not have any objects that
could harm the guards or himself during the change of location.
The place where he is taken has adopted the name, "House of Death" by the inmates and
the guards themselves.
Once inside, he will not see the light of day again, being watched during his last 24
hours to prevent him from taking his own life as an ironic escape from his sentence.
Inside their last cell they have a bathroom, a desk and even, on rare occasions, a television
to distract their minds from what lies ahead.
Here they will spend their last hours of life reflecting on their crimes, writing down their
bitter thoughts and letters to their loved ones, having a series of phone calls and limited
visits from their families to say goodbye, not to mention a Chaplain who will try to
calm their mind and soul before they have to walk down the corridor to their final stop.
Last Meal.
The Strangest Prisoner Requests.
As a more humane gesture towards those condemned to die, the famous "Last Meal" is well known,
which is offered to them so that they can taste their favorite dish or at least something
more appetizing than the routine prison meal, but unlike popular belief, they cannot order
just anything, having budgets that range from 0 to 40 dollars in most cases.
With this in mind, the question may arise: What would I ask for if I were in that situation?
It is likely that people have debated at length in the few hours of life they had left, about
what the last thing they wanted to taste was, sometimes ordering things that were a bit
unexpected.
Some of you who have a well-founded phobia of clowns today may blame Stephen King's books
about that demonic clown called "It" and the subsequent movies based on its story, but
we owe the resounding success of this character to his real life inspiration.
John Wayne Gacy was a man who was captured and prosecuted in 1978 for taking the lives
of many young people he met at children's parties and events where he performed under
the name "Pogo the Clown."
He was sentenced to lethal injection, which was carried out on May 10, 1994.
As a last meal, this terrible person decided to use the entire budget and order a dozen
fried shrimp accompanied by an order of French fries, a whole bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken
and a pound of strawberries.
Ted Bundy is known worldwide for killing more than 30 women and teenagers between 1974 and
1978 while pretending to be injured or playing an authority figure.
He was sentenced to the electric chair, which was carried out on January 24, 1989 and decided
not to order anything as a last meal, possibly losing his appetite due to what was coming.
Instead, he received the standard meal consisting of a piece of meat, fried eggs, hash browns,
bread with butter and jam accompanied by milk and orange juice.
One who may have lost his mind before his execution was Ricky Ray Rector who was sentenced
to lethal injection for taking the life of a man in a dance hall, and three days later,
the police officer who was negotiating his surrender to authorities in 1981.
His execution took place on January 24, 1992, choosing a piece of steak, fried chicken and
a cherry "Kool-Aid" for his last meal.
For dessert, he had a piece of pecan pie which he did not finish, assuring that he would
save it for later, an ironic comment given his fate.
For his part, Ronnie Lee Garner ended the lives of two men, one during a robbery and
the other when he tried to escape while being transported to the scene of the trial in 1985.
As a death sentence he was given the choice between lethal injection or firing squad...
the most reasonable choice was obvious, but Garner chose to end his life in front of a
gun on June 18, 2010.
As a last meal he opted for lobster tail and steak, with a dessert of apple pie with vanilla
ice cream, not surprising, if we are not talking about the fact that he asked to enjoy it while
watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a rather original way of postponing its end
for more than 9 hours.
Preparations begin
During the first hours of the day, a limited number of visitors are allowed to see and
talk to the condemned man for the last time, as long as it is within the designated hours.
Family, friends and press gather where they have the opportunity to spend time with him,
even though a thick glass separates them.
After those visits, the prisoner will be visited by a man of faith, who will be in charge of
reassuring him in body and soul using any method possible.
He is even able to adapt to the personal religious beliefs of each individual.
This gentleman will also be one of the few that will remain by his side until death.
A few hours before their last meal and execution, the inmate will be asked to take their first
shower in the entire time they have been in the cellblock.
The shower is completely private, and they are entitled to be under the hot water for
up to 15 minutes before they have to be ready.
On some occasions, he will be given decent clothing and an adult diaper that will take
care of preserving the prisoner's dignity and the easy cleaning of the body, since it
is well known that all body waste is expelled thanks to the loss of muscle control at death.
Once his final meal is finished, the condemned is transferred to the execution room by at
least two guards who hold him by each arm.
Although it’s rare that anyone causes problems in this transition, as they usually have already
accepted their fate.
Once the prisoner is secured to the stretcher, a few people who want to observe the death
will be allowed to enter the witness room.
Only family members of the condemned, their victims, political officials, medical and
religious personnel, and designated media will be allowed to watch through a one-way
glass.
As a final preparation, the prisoner will be fitted with a cardiac monitor to monitor
the moment of death.
Intravenous tubes will also be inserted into his arms through which the lethal chemicals
will run.
The most disturbing words of the convicts
During the last minutes of someone on death row, these people use their last breaths of
air to apologize, say words of love to their families or scream at the top of their lungs
that they are innocent, while the most sadistic and deranged culprits choose to utter terrifying
or outlandish statements that show their real character.
Among those who would give you goosebumps is Westley Allan Dodd, who took the lives
of 3 children.
He decided to die by hanging as a way to honor his last victim whom he hung from a closet.
His last words were "Someone once asked me, I don't remember who, if there was any way
to stop abusers.
I told him no.
I was wrong."
Some, like the words of Billy Wayne Coble, are puzzling and meaningless.
This murderer, responsible for the death of his ex-wife's parents and brother recited
a series of strange words saying "Yes, sir, that'll be five dollars, I love you, I love
you and I love you, Mike I love you, Where's Nelly, I love you, that'll be five dollars,
take care of yourself."
To end on a high note, we find the last words of Carl Panzram, who confessed to taking the
lives of more than 20 people and taking advantage of what he claimed were a thousand men.
He was executed by hanging in 1930, but not before insulting his executioners by saying
"Hurry up, you damned bastards.
I could have killed ten men while you were wasting your time".
Whatever the public opinion on the death penalty, whether you believe that all life is sacred
or that indeed this world is better off without those named here, we will keep an eye on these
cases to tell you about them here at Copernicus’s Galaxy.