The Virginia sniper..

arybvtcw0eolkf

Is to be executed today, damn that was quick!.

I've mixed emotions on this tbh.

When I looked into the guys mental health issues', and considering he has been found to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome & P.T.S.D. from his service in the US forces, I can't help but think he's been dealt a raw deal.

Sure he killed some people, but where was his mind during the process?.

'Yes' or 'No', I won't lose much sleep over it but I'd rather America didn't have the death penalty.

However I can understand the feelings of wanting some revenge too.

TouchingVirus

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

Is to be executed today, damn that was quick!.

I've mixed emotions on this tbh.

When I looked into the guys mental health issues', and considering he has been found to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome & P.T.S.D. from his service in the US forces, I can't help but think he's been dealt a raw deal.

Sure he killed some people, but where was his mind during the process?.

'Yes' or 'No', I won't lose much sleep over it but I'd rather America didn't have the death penalty.

However I can understand the feelings of wanting something avenged.

I saw this on Teletext last night, 11th hour appeal over his mental health or something failed.

I just remember the terror he caused, nearly every day you'd hear about somebody being shot dead, or a near miss or something.

I don't agree with the death penalty though and would also rather the US didn't have it.

Trekker09

While my sympathy is a little thin for this guy, there certainly is a case to be answered as far as treatment for Vets is concerned. I certainly don't beleive in the death penalty, not so much on moral grounds, but more on the uneasiness of knowing if you are executing the right person.

Blazer

Personally I hope the fúcker fries in hell and spends an eternity there.
Same with any other person who murders/rapes/child molesters etc.
A cushy few years in a cell is no sense of justice for any of those scum.

CreepingDeath

I bet he was given a rough time by some small town sheriff, who drew "first blood" in this situation.

wes

I actually support the death penalty, but not in the case of a mentally ill individual. If the guy is not of sound mind, then he should not be executed, but rather imprisioned for the rest of his life, as he is clearly a danger to others.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Trekker09 wrote: »

While my sympathy is a little thin for this guy, there certainly is a case to be answered as far as treatment for Vets is concerned. I certainly don't beleive in the death penalty, not so much on moral grounds, but more on the uneasiness of knowing if you are executing the right person.

And considering this execution is to be done the day before Veterans Day too!.

Joey the lips

Is this a discussion on the death penality? I prefere a discussion on how easy it is to get guns in america.

I dont agree with the death penality but having said that Kill my children and I would want you dead! Yes I might be no better, thats why I think a discussion on the availability of guns makes more sense.

Trekker09

Berkut wrote: »

Personally I hope the fúcker fries in hell and spends an eternity there.
Same with any other person who murders/rapes/child molesters etc.
A cushy few years in a cell is no sense of justice for any of those scum.

Ok, what do you do when the person is innocent?

keefg

Berkut wrote: »

Personally I hope the fúcker fries in hell and spends an eternity there.
Same with any other person who murders/rapes/child molesters etc.
A cushy few years in a cell is no sense of justice for any of those scum.

Totally agree, fcuk him.

This wasn't the rash act of some ex soldier suffering the affects of PTSD. It was a pre-meditated and carefully planned action of a ruthless murderer who just did it for the ransom he was demanding.

mikemac

That was quick, don't these cases sometimes take over 10 years

But I suppose when an FBI officer gets shot there is no way the system will spare you, rightly or wrongly

arybvtcw0eolkf

keefg wrote: »

Totally agree, fcuk him.

This wasn't the rash act of some ex soldier suffering the affects of PTSD. It was a pre-meditated and carefully planned action of a ruthless murderer who just did it for the ransom he was demanding.

And you know something about P.T.S.D. then do you?.

keefg

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

And you know something about P.T.S.D. then do you?.

Maybe I do.

arybvtcw0eolkf

keefg wrote: »

Maybe I do.

To expand on my question, 'from your war experiences?.

ronbyrne2005

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

And you know something about P.T.S.D. then do you?.

Do you? Or just supporting him cos his ex army too? I know PTCD is tough but it doesnt stop you knowing right from wrong and wouldnt affect premeditated murder.

PeakOutput

i do support the death penalty i think ptsd is no excuse and while im sure i know very little about it i cant think of ANYTHING that excuses him from punishment for a series of premeditated serial killings

am i remembering correctly when i say his son helped him with these killings? any idea whats happening with him?

arybvtcw0eolkf

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Do you?

Yes I do.

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Or just supporting him cos his ex army too?

Hitler was ex-army too, you won't see me goose stepping down to An Bord Gas anytime soon.

4zn76tysfajdxp

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Do you? Or just supporting him cos his ex army too?

He never said he was supporting him, he was just questioning the image of the guy being a mere ruthless psychopath.

wudangclan

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

Is to be executed today, damn that was quick!.

I've mixed emotions on this tbh.

When I looked into the guys mental health issues', and considering he has been found to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome & P.T.S.D. from his service in the US forces, I can't help but think he's been dealt a raw deal.

Sure he killed some people, but where was his mind during the process?.

'Yes' or 'No', I won't lose much sleep over it but I'd rather America didn't have the death penalty.

However I can understand the feelings of wanting some revenge too.

dunno all the ins and outs of the case but it seems what he did was very calculated and with a fair degree of thought behind it,it's not like he went postal (like the dude in texas this week) so i don't think ptsd is a valid defence in this case.
i still wouldn't agree with the death penalty in this case,though.

metaoblivia

PeakOutput wrote: »

i do support the death penalty i think ptsd is no excuse and while im sure i know very little about it i cant think of ANYTHING that excuses him from punishment for a series of premeditated serial killings

am i remembering correctly when i say his son helped him with these killings? any idea whats happening with him?

Lee Boyd Malvo is serving consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

My name is URL

I don't think any ex-soldier should be sentenced to death tbh, it's the state that instilled the capacity to kill in him, or at least nurtured whatever natural tendencies he had

they should deal with it, if it means locking him up in a military prison for the rest of his life then so be it

Pyr0

Life is 25 years in the states, correct ? Or is it actually for life ?

Pighead

Pighead's in support of the death penalty but it shouldn't be televised. Showing Gary Glitter getting hung last night was a disgrace. No need for it at all.

metaoblivia

Pyr0 wrote: »

Life is 25 years in the states, correct ? Or is it actually for life ?

He'll never be released from prison.

Blazer

Trekker09 wrote: »

Ok, what do you do when the person is innocent?

He's not...He's 100% guilty on this.
I've no qualms about killing guilty people.

Degsy

Pighead wrote: »

Pighead's in support of the death penalty but it shouldn't be televised. Showing Gary Glitter getting hung last night was a disgrace. No need for it at all.

Should Degsy ever climb up a water tower with a rifle one day,pighead would do well to stay out of his sights!

PeakOutput

Pyr0 wrote: »

Life is 25 years in the states, correct ? Or is it actually for life ?

pretty sure life without parole in the states means you will not see the outside of a prison again and if im wrong they make far better use of consecutive sentences than we do to affectively ensure people will never be free again

old boy

i was there during all that, scary schit for some, the guy was lying down in the back of a van, with a hole in the back door so he could aim and fire, the son was the driver, he caused a lot of people a lot of grief, how come all them guys have an excuse, lots of people have the excuses but they do not do evil, he is no loss.

topper75

Love all you guys. But you'll forgive me this one occasion if I hold the relatives of the dead out in front of you when it comes to opinions on what should be done with him.

The USA trained a lot of people to kill as soldiers. But they didn't go and do what this bitter guy did! He terrorised people until he was caught.

The mental health appeal was dismissed. The chances of innocence are too remote if you followed the case.

Why should he be allowed to live? Human rights can be forfeited I think.

Good drama on Channel 4 last night with an alternative present day Britain seeking to execute Paul Gadd for paedophile offences. Made you think at least.

I think Peter Sutcliffe should have been strung up myself.

AckwelFoley

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

Is to be executed today, damn that was quick!.

I've mixed emotions on this tbh.

.

I dont.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Degsy wrote: »

Should Degsy ever climb up a water tower with a rifle one day,pighead would do well to stay out of his sights!

Less of that please, Degsy.

Bob_Harris

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

When I looked into the guys mental health issues', and considering he has been found to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome & P.T.S.D. from his service in the US forces, I can't help but think he's been dealt a raw deal.

Aww the murdering soldier murders more people. Poor him, lets absolve him of all responsibility because of "mental issues".

Pighead

Degsy wrote: »

Should Degsy ever climb up a water tower with a rifle one day,pighead would do well to stay out of his sights!

No offense Degsy but your attempts to scare Pighead will never work. We all know you're a mild mannered librarian with a penchant for doll collecting. A threat from you is akin to getting bitten by a toothless hamster.

Dudess

topper75 wrote: »

But you'll forgive me this one occasion if I hold the relatives of the dead out in front of you when it comes to opinions on what should be done with him.

But those deciding his fate shouldn't be letting their emotions dictate. He should have been incarcerated for life in a mental health facility.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Pighead wrote: »

No offense Degsy but your attempts to scare Pighead will never work. We all know you're a mild mannered librarian with a penchant for doll collecting. A threat from you is akin to getting bitten by a toothless hamster.

You can knock that off as well. This isn't the Thunderdome.

Degsy

A great way to stop people re-offending is to execute them..far better than locking them up at the taxpayers expense.

AckwelFoley

Degsy wrote: »

A great way to stop people re-offending is to execute them..far better than locking them up at the taxpayers expense.

Totally agree, with one caveat however. Proof of guilt needs to be absolute. Yes we have seen innocent people been pardoned for crimes they didnt commit.

But if one is caught with the smoking gun... literally in this case.. fry'em

keefg

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

To expand on my question, 'from your war experiences?.

And what makes you think that you need to have experienced something to have some knowledge on it?

Do you think all the medical staff who first diagnosed PTSD or that treat it now were all front line troops?

I think not. There are other ways to gain knowledge other than experience.

But to answer your question, I was part of a crew working on a documentary on this case back and I learned a lot about the case from discussions with the research team.

In almost every murder case in America the first reaction of the defence team is to appeal under some sort of mental illness situation. It's pretty much standard procedure but that doesn't validate it as a defence.

The prosecution team pretty much squashed the mental illness defence because the case was little to do with any sort of revenge or injustice and more to do with the ransom money demanded by the guilty parties.

I suspect your sympathy of this case is more to do with a fellow soldier rather than the actual facts of the case.

Degsy

snyper wrote: »

Totally agree, with one caveat however. Proof of guilt needs to be absolute. Yes we have seen innocent people been pardoned for crimes they didnt commit.

But if one is caught with the smoking gun... literally in this case.. fry'em

Cant make an omelete without breaking eggs..

major bill

i remember coming home from school everyday at lunch and sticking on the news and finding out the washington sniper had shot another person, mad couldnt help but notice that the media in a sick way were loving this, the man was a national celebrity in a ''natural born killers'' type of way:eek:.
Health issues or not he made his bed, he didnt just go out one day and shoot loads of people he went out a number of days so clearly he had to of known what he was doing at some stage!!!!

arybvtcw0eolkf

keefg wrote: »

And what makes you think that you need to have experienced something to have some knowledge on it?

Do you think all the medical staff who first diagnosed PTSD or that treat it now were all front line troops?

I think not. There are other ways to gain knowledge other than experience.

But to answer your question, I was part of a crew working on a documentary on this case back and I leaned a lot about the case from discussions with the research team.

So the answer to my question is 'NO', ok you could have just said that.

keefg wrote: »

I suspect your sympathy of this case is more to do with a fellow soldier rather than the actual facts of the case.

Maybe the Hitler thingy was too complicated, so I'll just say 'No' then.

PeakOutput

Dudess wrote: »

But those deciding his fate shouldn't be letting their emotions dictate. He should have been incarcerated for life in a mental health facility.

why?

the supreme court of the united states of america looked at the mental health evidence and decided it carried no weight in this case. they did so with no emotion either way. who are you to say what should happen to him? do you have some insight that the supreme court judges dont?

keefg

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

So the answer to my question is 'NO', ok you could have just said that.

Ahh...truly spoken like a person who is too ignorant to comprehend an opinion that differs with their own.

Marshall Damaged Bongo wrote: »

Maybe the Hitler thingy was too complicated, so I'll just say 'No' then.

Not too complicated but I can see from a mile off that it's just a regular line you reel off when you defend the actions of any military personnel.

I don't buy into the "Boo Hoo, I had a tough time during my military service. I'm the victim here, please pity me." defence.

PirateShampoo

Some of you people make me laugh with your hippy ideals.

October 2

At 5:20pm, a shot was fired through a window of a Michaels Craft Store in Aspen Hill. As no one was injured, no serious alarms were raised.

At 6:30pm, James Martin, a 55-year-old program analyst at NOAA, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery store.

October 3

At 7:41am, James L. Buchanan, a 39-year-old landscaper known as "Sonny", was shot dead in Montgomery County near Rockville, Maryland. Buchanan was shot while mowing the grass at the Fitzgerald Auto Mall.

At 8:12am, 54-year-old part-time taxi driver Premkumar Walekar was killed in Aspen Hill in Montgomery County, while pumping gasoline into his taxi at a Mobil station at Aspen Hill Road and Connecticut Avenue.

Sarah Ramos, a 34-year-old babysitter and housekeeper, was killed at 8:37am at the Leisure World Shopping Center in Aspen Hill. She had gotten off a bus, and was seated on a bench, reading a book.

At 9:58am, in what was to be the last killing of the morning, 25-year-old Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera was killed while vacuuming her Dodge Caravan at the Shell station at the intersection of Connecticut & Knowles Avenues in Kensington, Maryland.

The snipers then waited until 9:15pm before shooting Pascal Charlot, a 72-year-old retired carpenter, while he was walking on Georgia Avenue at Kalmia Road, in Washington, D.C. Charlot died less than an hour later.

October 4

43-year-old Caroline Seawell was wounded at 2:30pm in the parking lot of a Michaels Craft Store at Spotsylvania Mall in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, just outside the city of Fredericksburg, while she was loading purchases into her minivan.

October 7

at 8:09am, Iran Brown, a 13-year-old boy, was shot in the chest as he arrived at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School.

October 9

at 8:18pm, 53-year-old Dean Harold Meyers was shot dead while pumping gasoline at a Sunoco gas station.

October 14

at 9:15pm, 47-year-old Linda Franklin, an FBI intelligence analyst who was a resident of Arlington County, Virginia, was shot dead after she finished shopping.

October 22

Last victim bus driver Conrad Johnson was shot dead at 5:56am while standing on the steps of his bus.



Now one of you defend his actions by saying he was depressed and doesnt deserve to die.

arybvtcw0eolkf

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Now one of you defend his actions by saying he was depressed and doesnt deserve to die.

I don't know about people defending his actions, I certainly don't.

However I think people are right to question how justice is done, we might all differ on our opinions but if we weren't allowed them the alternative is kangaroo courts and lynch mobs.

major bill

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Some of you people make me laugh with your hippy ideals.

October 2

At 5:20pm, a shot was fired through a window of a Michaels Craft Store in Aspen Hill. As no one was injured, no serious alarms were raised.

At 6:30pm, James Martin, a 55-year-old program analyst at NOAA, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery store.

October 3

At 7:41am, James L. Buchanan, a 39-year-old landscaper known as "Sonny", was shot dead in Montgomery County near Rockville, Maryland. Buchanan was shot while mowing the grass at the Fitzgerald Auto Mall.

At 8:12am, 54-year-old part-time taxi driver Premkumar Walekar was killed in Aspen Hill in Montgomery County, while pumping gasoline into his taxi at a Mobil station at Aspen Hill Road and Connecticut Avenue.

Sarah Ramos, a 34-year-old babysitter and housekeeper, was killed at 8:37am at the Leisure World Shopping Center in Aspen Hill. She had gotten off a bus, and was seated on a bench, reading a book.

At 9:58am, in what was to be the last killing of the morning, 25-year-old Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera was killed while vacuuming her Dodge Caravan at the Shell station at the intersection of Connecticut & Knowles Avenues in Kensington, Maryland.

The snipers then waited until 9:15pm before shooting Pascal Charlot, a 72-year-old retired carpenter, while he was walking on Georgia Avenue at Kalmia Road, in Washington, D.C. Charlot died less than an hour later.

October 4

43-year-old Caroline Seawell was wounded at 2:30pm in the parking lot of a Michaels Craft Store at Spotsylvania Mall in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, just outside the city of Fredericksburg, while she was loading purchases into her minivan.

October 7

at 8:09am, Iran Brown, a 13-year-old boy, was shot in the chest as he arrived at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School.

October 9

at 8:18pm, 53-year-old Dean Harold Meyers was shot dead while pumping gasoline at a Sunoco gas station.

October 14

at 9:15pm, 47-year-old Linda Franklin, an FBI intelligence analyst who was a resident of Arlington County, Virginia, was shot dead after she finished shopping.

October 22

Last victim bus driver Conrad Johnson was shot dead at 5:56am while standing on the steps of his bus.



Now one of you defend his actions by saying he was depressed and doesnt deserve to die.

good post. The man had no passion for human life therefore should face up to what he did and if thats the death penelty so be it!!!! the health issue card gets used too much in this day and age, cowards way out imo.

Dudess

PeakOutput wrote: »

why?

the supreme court of the united states of america looked at the mental health evidence and decided it carried no weight in this case. they did so with no emotion either way.

That was my response to the usual "well what if it happened to your relatives" reasoning, which is irrelevant seeing as the relatives aren't sentencing him.

who are you to say what should happen to him? do you have some insight that the supreme court judges dont?

Ok, it's my opinion he should have been incarcerated for life - I prefer my states not to have the power to kill people...

TalkingHorse

did this guy do this in order to cover up the murder of his ex-wife rather than for a ransom? If so even more scary and pre-meditated.

Life rotting in jail probably worse than the death penalty in my opinion

PeakOutput

Dudess wrote: »

That was my response to the usual "well what if it happened to your relatives" reasoning, which is irrelevant seeing as the relatives aren't sentencing him.

ah ok fair enough you can ignore what i said so

Ok, it's my opinion he should have been incarcerated for life - I prefer my states not to have the power to kill people...

ok

for the record i wouldnt particularly support the death penalty in ireland for the simple reason i dont think we need it but americas society is so ****ed up i do believe they need it

arybvtcw0eolkf

TalkingHorse wrote: »

Life rotting in jail probably worse than the death penalty in my opinion

I would think so too.

I find it hard accepting that one human (and I don't care who appoints them) has the right of life and death over another. Thats something I really can't understand, how can one deliberate over the life of another?.

IvySlayer

PeakOutput wrote: »

ah ok fair enough you can ignore what i said so



ok

for the record i wouldnt particularly support the death penalty in ireland for the simple reason i dont think we need it but americas society is so ****ed up i do believe they need it

Errrr...This guy knew killing could've resulted in him being executed?