Virginia Executes Woman with IQ of 72

losthorizon

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/24/teresa-lewis-executed-virginia

Another Man actually claimed he duped this lady into confessing to the murder

http://www.euronews.net/2010/09/23/mentally-retarded-woman-to-be-executed-in-us/

The Iranians are claiming its double standards by the west.

scientific1982

Doesnt take away from the barbarism being committed by Iran every day.

Sykk

Sky news version is better:

A Virginia grandmother has been put to death for plotting the murders of her husband and stepson - the first woman to be executed in the US for five years.


Teresa Lewis was given a lethal injection at 2am BST at the Greensville Correctional Centre in southern Virginia while supporters and relatives of the victims watched.
Outside the prison, a group opposed to the death penalty rang a bell and prayed as Lewis went to her death.
She is the first woman in almost 100 years to be executed in Virginia.
More than 7,300 appeals to stop the execution had been made to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell but he refused to intervene in the case.
The US Supreme Court had already rejected her request for a stay of execution.
Sky News' US correspondent Greg Milam, outside the Greensville Correctional Centre, said: "We have heard from some of the witnesses, four official witnesses who were inside that chamber describing the look of fear, the look of terror on the face of Teresa Lewis as she was taken into that execution chamber.

Supporters of Teresa Lewis said she had a personality disorder
"Her lawyer gave a very emotional speech after the execution in which he said he hoped what had happened here would make America look again at a badly broken system that put someone to death when there are such questions about their mental capacity."
Lewis pleaded guilty to hiring two men to murder her husband and stepson at the family's home in October 2002 so that she could collect £200,000 in life insurance.
But campaigners had argued that she was "borderline mentally retarded" and that assessments of her IQ as being between 70 and 72 made the execution unconstitutional.

Death penalty protesters waited outside Greensville Correctional Centre
Lewis admitted she left the door of the family trailer open in 2002 so the two could enter and shoot her husband and his 25-year-old son.
All three pleaded guilty but Matthew Shallenberger and Rodney Fuller were sentenced to life - after striking a plea deal with prosecutors - while Lewis received the death penalty as the mastermind of the killings.
But her supporters argued that she had a personality disorder, was addicted to prescription drugs and was manipulated by the more intelligent Shallenberger.
And they questioned why she should be executed when the two men who actually carried out the murder were handed life without parole.
Her lawyers had pointed to a letter from Shallenberger, who killed himself in jail in 2006, in which he claimed full responsibility for the murder plot and suggested he pushed Lewis into it.

Lol!

Sanjuro

And yet the US frowns upon Sharia Law so much. I'm not saying it's worse than Sharia Law, but those in glass houses....

bonerm

So did the average IQ in Virginia go up or down after the execution?

up for anything

It's strange. Death by lethal injection seems far more horrific to me than the electric chair or even a blunt sword beheading. I wonder is that because it is medically induced and therefore seems very clinical or at odds with the belief that medicine is there to make you feel better and goes against everything my mother ever said to me as a child about how an injection might pinch for a few seconds but would make me feel better sooner which I have, in turn, repeated to my children on countless occasions.

PaddyBomb

I heard that her last words were something like "Wow, that was awesome".

Obviously she was mentally retarded. Because any person I seen using the word "awesome" looked mentally retarded.

RobbieTheRobber

I cant wait for the this thread to turn into a big ranting and raving session about the Death penalty because it will be bloody hilarious seeing as anytime there is a story about rape/murder/paedophiles in the news the majority of AH start calling for the hangman to be brought out.

Sanjuro

PaddyBomb wrote: »

Obviously she was mentally retarded. Because any person I seen using the word "awesome" looked mentally retarded.

Hmm...

PeterIanStaker

bonerm wrote: »

So did the average IQ in Virginia go up or down after the execution?

the trouble with the gene pool is there's no lifeguard:D

Uriel.

Lethal injection is (often) not a nice way to go.

Crazy that the two hitmen weren't given the death penalty as well. I guess they provided the the evidence that convicted her.

c_man

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

I cant wait for the this thread to turn into a big ranting and raving session about the Death penalty

Nah, let's turn it into a debate on the reliability/accuracy of IQ tests!

That'll be fun

RMD

The US think they've a high horse on the moral matter of the death sentence simply because they do it in a "humane" way. There is no humane way in execution, it's barbaric. Stoning is horrible, but just because the US use lethal injection doesn't make them any form of authority on the matter.

losthorizon

up for anything wrote: »

It's strange. Death by lethal injection seems far more horrific to me than the electric chair or even a blunt sword beheading.

I dont know about that. One of the last times they used the electric chair in the US the guy being executed went on fire. They had to dowse him down and throw the switch again. Fairly awful.

leddpipe

Sanjuro wrote: »

Hmm...

the ironing is delicious!

Caveat

Apparently you only need an IQ of something like 80 (or less) to drive a car. Plenty of people with average IQs can't manage that though. Plenty of low IQ people have jobs too - real jobs.

The protest that the execution was morally wrong only really has any weight if people with the same IQs can't be relied upon to live/function independently, but they patently can.

How can someone be judged to be mentally incapable to stand trial and face consequences if they can at the same time be "allowed" to e.g. operate dangerous machinery, use gas appliances, drive etc?

MagicMarker

This is ridiculous, she should not have been executed because murder is wrong, not because she has a low fúcking IQ!

amacachi

What's the average IQ of the men executed by the US? There's loads who have a mental age below that of a teenager, this particular case is just doing the rounds because it's a woman involved.

amacachi

MagicMarker wrote: »

This is ridiculous, she should not have been executed because murder is wrong, not because she has a low fúcking IQ!

****in hippy. :pac:

ceadaoin.

losthorizon wrote: »

The Iranians are claiming its double standards by the west.

Why are American actions always held up as an example of 'the West'.

The majority of western countries have abolished the death penalty. It's an example of double standards by America, which is hardly a big surprise.

Also, I can't imagine why anyone would want to be an exectutioner? Must pay well or something

ejmaztec

It was unfortunate for her that the judge had an IQ of 61.

Renn

MagicMarker wrote: »

This is ridiculous, she should have been executed because murder is wrong, not because she has a low fúcking IQ!

FYP

LarrytheLantern

IQ tests are not a reliable indicator of cognitive ability.
besides it's very easy to cheat on IQ tests and give a deliberately low score.


that said it would be nice to see the rope reintroduced on these islands for especially heinous crimes.
for instance i would have no problem see the 2 animals that killed Baby P doing the jig. likewise Hindley & Brady ought to have been roped.

it would save the taxpayer a small fortune, and would take at least 1 person (maybe 2 if an assistant was needed) off the dole.

Flojo

Iran saying it's double standards... pfft idiots. This woman plotted the murder of her husband and her stepson for money... not as if she just commited adultery anyways, once again idiots.

She was "borderline" mentally retarded yeah fair enough borderline doesn't mean fully as we know. She still managed to plot and carry out those murders still meaning that she's well capable for such acts so it doesn't count. Hell even her lawyer said she wasn't mentally retarded but very close to it.
Good enough for her!

losthorizon

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Why are American actions always held up as an example of 'the West'.

Its because the US claims leadership for itself. You only have to listen to speeches given by their leaders and representatives and they claim to be just that. Just as Obama did yesterday at the UN.

liah

I don't get this case at all.

The woman plotted to kill them, but didn't actually.

The men who did kill them, however, only got the life sentence.

Meanwhile the woman who only plotted but outside of that, did nothing, gets killed?

Can someone explain this a little better? Why are the murderers not on trial? Why was her case of plotting murder worth breaking 100 years of no capital punishment? Why was HER crime so heinous that it was brought back?

I'm clearly missing something.

Flojo

liah wrote: »

I don't get this case at all.

The woman plotted to kill them, but didn't actually.

The men who did kill them, however, only got the life sentence.

Meanwhile the woman who only plotted but outside of that, did nothing, gets killed?

Can someone explain this a little better? Why are the murderers not on trial? Why was her case of plotting murder worth breaking 100 years of no capital punishment? Why was HER crime so heinous that it was brought back?

I'm clearly missing something.

She actually did! "Lewis admitted organising the slaying of her husband Julian and his son Charles to claim their life insurance premiums."

ScumLord

I don't see why she should be excused from the death penalty just because she's a stupid woman. It's really only stupid people that do these kind of crimes. I don't agree with the death penalty at all but I think under the American system there was no reason why she shouldn't get the death sentence for what she did if that's the penalty that anyone else would have got under the same circumstances.

RMD wrote: »

The US think they've a high horse on the moral matter of the death sentence simply because they do it in a "humane" way.

Americans don't really believe injections or any other method of execution they use is really all that humane. It's well known the most humane way to kill any animal is through inert gas which causes no suffering. But Americans that support the execution don't want murderers and the like to have a comfortable death. They like the thought of the person suffering but don't actually want to have to see too much suffering.

Scuid Mhór

well this is incredibly stupid.

liah

Flojo wrote: »

She actually did! "Lewis admitted organising the slaying of her husband Julian and his son Charles to claim their life insurance premiums."

But...

And they questioned why she should be executed when the two men who actually carried out the murder were handed life without parole.
Her lawyers had pointed to a letter from Shallenberger, who killed himself in jail in 2006, in which he claimed full responsibility for the murder plot and suggested he pushed Lewis into it.

The woman admitted to PLOTTING, but from what I've read she wasn't the one to do the killing.

Flojo

liah wrote: »

But...



The woman admitted to PLOTTING, but from what I've read she wasn't the one to do the killing.

Doesn't matter in my book. Its her fault they're dead, she was just too much of a coward to do it herself.

Local-womanizer

liah wrote: »

I don't get this case at all.

The woman plotted to kill them, but didn't actually.

The men who did kill them, however, only got the life sentence.

Meanwhile the woman who only plotted but outside of that, did nothing, gets killed?

Can someone explain this a little better? Why are the murderers not on trial? Why was her case of plotting murder worth breaking 100 years of no capital punishment? Why was HER crime so heinous that it was brought back?

I'm clearly missing something.

She conspired with 2 men to have her husband and Stepson murdered for personal gain. She then sat for 45 minutes in the house while her husband slowly bled to death before calling the authorities. She also paid for the weapons and Ammo used in the shootings,as well as leaving the door to the house unlock for the gunmen.

Also any medical evaluation said she was not mentally retarded.

If it wasnt for her,no murders would have taken place.

Why the gunmen received a life sentence? I can only guess because they co-operated with the authorities in the case.

Uriel.

liah wrote: »

I don't get this case at all.

The woman plotted to kill them, but didn't actually.

The men who did kill them, however, only got the life sentence.

Meanwhile the woman who only plotted but outside of that, did nothing, gets killed?

Can someone explain this a little better? Why are the murderers not on trial? Why was her case of plotting murder worth breaking 100 years of no capital punishment? Why was HER crime so heinous that it was brought back?

I'm clearly missing something.

Liah I imagine it's a case of the two hitmen turning state's evidence and testifying against her. In return the State Prosecutor obviously took the death sentence off the table for them and reduced it to life incarceration.

IN the US, the girl who was executed was found guilty of a crime punishable by capital offence. The prosecuting state attorney pushed for the death penalty. I would very much say that behind the scenes the reason for pushing for capital punishment was because she had a US soldier killed in order to claim his life insurance (provided by the army as he was to be deployed). American's, as you know, take great pride in their armed forces and the prosecutor's office (possibly local politicians and the jury and maybe even a good proportion of the public) clearly felt aggrieved by what happened.

LarrytheLantern

she was tried and found guilty by a jury of her peers.
they were presented with the FACTS. we were not.
we can only speculate and guess as to what those facts were/are.

i have no problem with this verdict.

Justice has been served.

Uriel.

LarrytheLantern wrote: »

she was tried and found guilty by a jury of her peers.
they were presented with the FACTS. we were not.
we can only speculate and guess as to what those facts were/are.

i have no problem with this verdict.

Justice has been served.

I don;t think anyone in this thread has disputed facts. I think the debate circles around the punishment rather than the trial or book of evidence.

thebaz

ScumLord wrote: »

Americans don't really believe injections or any other method of execution they use is really all that humane. It's well known the most humane way to kill any animal is through inert gas which causes no suffering. But Americans that support the execution don't want murderers and the like to have a comfortable death. They like the thought of the person suffering but don't actually want to have to see too much suffering.

do you get a choice how you die - I'd select firing squad - no feckin around with poison or fires - what do they use in Switzerland, at that place where you can die early ?

PeakOutput

i have no problem with a debate on teh death penalty personally i have nothing really against it although if one innocent person is put too death it is too much

BUT

arguing that she should be given clemency because of her iq is an absolute joke. unless she is mentally disabled which she clearly isnt she knows the difference between right and wrong and was found guilty in a court of law and sentenced accordingly.

arranging and paying two people to come into your home, opening the door for them and then not ringing the police for 45mins after the fact is murder and it sounds like she deserved what she got

PaddyBomb

PaddyBomb wrote: »

Because any person I seen using the word "awesome" looked mentally retarded.

lol :rolleyes:


I have to agree with MM - I feel she shouldn't have been executed because the death penalty is wrong, not because of her IQ.

PeakOutput

thebaz wrote: »

do you get a choice how you die - I'd select firing squad - no feckin around with poison or fires - what do they use in Switzerland, at that place where you can die early ?

no method is instant. after being shot in the chest or even beheaded you are still very much alive for at least a few seconds after it happens

as far as i know lethal injection is started with a sedative so you are asleep or so out of it you cant feel or comprehend anything. it definitely seems like the most painless way choice if you ever had to make that decision

Uriel.

thebaz wrote: »

do you get a choice how you die - I'd select firing squad - no feckin around with poison or fires - what do they use in Switzerland, at that place where you can die early ?

some state's you can choose but it is a minority now. Someone was recently killed by Firing Squad but in that state the law has changed and you can no longer select that option. But the guy in question had selected it before the law changed.

Uriel.

PeakOutput wrote: »

no method is instant. after being shot in the chest or even beheaded you are still very much alive for at least a few seconds after it happens

as far as i know lethal injection is started with a sedative so you are asleep or so out of it you cant feel or comprehend anything. it definitely seems like the most painless way choice if you ever had to make that decision

You would think so but absolutely not. There is a history of extremely difficult and painful (and awareness) deaths using the lethal injection method.

It's far far far from the ideal/humane/painless solution you might think

Uriel.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66469859#post66469859

ScumLord

thebaz wrote: »

do you get a choice how you die - I'd select firing squad - no feckin around with poison or fires - what do they use in Switzerland, at that place where you can die early ?

I think many terminal ill patients will often be killed by the amount of morphine their using to overcome the pain they're in.

There was a story on here recently enough where some guy in America was able to choose to a firing squad but I think that loop hole is closed now.

Mrmoe

I don't see what her IQ has do with this? Why is it relevant? She understood what she was doing, it was cold and calculated murder. People would not be arguing over her IQ if she was locked up in prison for life and is merely an attempt to attack the death penalty.

-Trek-

LarrytheLantern wrote: »

she was tried and found guilty by a jury of her peers.
they were presented with the FACTS. we were not.
we can only speculate and guess as to what those facts were/are.

i have no problem with this verdict.

Justice has been served.

What kind of justice do you refer to? bible justice maybe? an eye for an eye?

PeakOutput wrote: »

as far as i know lethal injection is started with a sedative so you are asleep or so out of it you cant feel or comprehend anything. it definitely seems like the most painless way choice if you ever had to make that decision

That is what they want you to believe, but unfortunately anybody who has had the treatment isn't here to tell if that is actually true.

Death penalty stinks, its not justice its state sanctioned murder / revenge killing. Really wish the Americans ideas of justice and punishment would get with the times.

sbsquarepants

I think my IQ is about 72 today, twice i read the thread title as "virgin executes woman" I blame arthurs day.
Apparently the most painless way to execute someone is in a decompression chamber, don't think anywhere does it though.

Uriel.

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I think my IQ is about 72 today, twice i read the thread title as "virgin executes woman" I blame arthurs day.
Apparently the most painless way to execute someone is in a decompression chamber, don't think anywhere does it though.

Asphyxiation? was previously done in some States in America but not any more.

PeakOutput

Trekmad wrote: »

That is what they want you to believe, but unfortunately anybody who has had the treatment isn't here to tell if that is actually true.

they dont need to be here to tell us how it feels,science is pretty accurate about these things. the previous poster suggested that it was painfull because intravenous drug users suffer more due to a lack of good veins, im not an intravenous drug user so barring human error i fail to see how this method can be so painful

Death penalty stinks, its not justice its state sanctioned murder / revenge killing. Really wish the Americans ideas of justice and punishment would get with the times.

its not revenge although im sure the family of the victims feel like it is revenge. it is the state trying to protect its citizens from the future actions of a murderer.

once you deliberately and illegally take another human beings life you have no right to the protection of your life anymore and the state has every right to treat you as they see fit for the protection of the rest of society. weather this be life in prison or execution i dont care but the moment you went threw with murder is the moment you give up every other right imo

Wolfe Tone

Personally I think death by snu snu is the most humane way.


Giggidy!

Uriel.

PeakOutput wrote: »

they dont need to be here to tell us how it feels,science is pretty accurate about these things. the previous poster suggested that it was painfull because intravenous drug users suffer more due to a lack of good veins, im not an intravenous drug user so barring human error i fail to see how this method can be so painful



its not revenge although im sure the family of the victims feel like it is revenge. it is the state trying to protect its citizens from the future actions of a murderer.

once you deliberately and illegally take another human beings life you have no right to the protection of your life anymore and the state has every right to treat you as they see fit for the protection of the rest of society. weather this be life in prison or execution i dont care but the moment you went threw with murder is the moment you give up every other right imo

The lethal injection is not administered by medical practitioners, for one. And it really doesn't matter that YOU are not an IV drug user. A large % of people who ultimately suffer the faith of death by lethal injection have been or are IV Drug users. My previous post and link catalogs some of the excruciating executions that have gone wrong as a result.

Flojo

PeakOutput wrote: »

its not revenge although im sure the family of the victims feel like it is revenge. it is the state trying to protect its citizens from the future actions of a murderer.

once you deliberately and illegally take another human beings life you have no right to the protection of your life anymore and the state has every right to treat you as they see fit for the protection of the rest of society. weather this be life in prison or execution i dont care but the moment you went threw with murder is the moment you give up every other right imo

Exactly and why should tax payers have to pay for them being cold calculated murderers, rid the planet of the scum... also over crowding in prisons if a major issue!
I just wish the justice system could be more accurate in who they execute to prevent innocent people being sent to death row, ie only choose it for people once they have the facts set in stone along with a confession maybe!