Should this murderer get the death penalty?

[John Dibble]

I'm neutral on whether we should have a death penalty or not. Life with hard labor is fine with me as an alternative.

However, if we are to have a death penalty the crime itself certainly is the type that might warrant it. As to whether this specific murderer should receive it, I would say that has to depend on the evidence. I think that the use of the death penalty has two qualifiers - the crime in question has to be particularly heinous, and the proof of guilt has to be beyond any doubt. For the second, things like DNA and video evidence or multiple witnesses who have no issues with credibility would meet that standard. That should prevent the execution of innocents.

Still, this guy is most likely going to have a life of living hell anyways - child rapists and murderers are considered to be the lowest of the low even by the prison population, and are subject to murder attempts, beatings, and whatnot.

[John Dibble]

^ Actually, witnesses are among the worst and least reliable pieces of evidence there is...which is tragic because juries consider them THE most reliable.  A lot of the cases where people were incorrectly put on death row were based on witness testimony, even where the woman picks the wrong rapist out of the line-up...

Which is exactly why I said multiple witnesses, though I didn't mean to imply that that alone would always be sufficient in any case.