WEBVTT - DOUBLE EXECUTION

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<v Speaker 1>Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, October fourteenth. Tonight, two

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<v Speaker 1>inmates have been executed, making the thirty sixth and thirty

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<v Speaker 1>seventh to be executed in the United States this year,

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<v Speaker 1>and one of them maintained his innocence till the end.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ where we rogues.

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<v Speaker 1>We've been covering this for several weeks, you could say

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<v Speaker 1>months now, where the United States seems to be on

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<v Speaker 1>a bit of a tear, you could argue, but an

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<v Speaker 1>uptick in the number of executions. Six were scheduled over

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<v Speaker 1>an eight day stretch, two of them tonight.

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<v Speaker 2>That's pretty remarkable. And this has been a record setting

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<v Speaker 2>year for Florida. I believe previously the largest number of

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<v Speaker 2>executions in one year was eight. We're already up to

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<v Speaker 2>number fourteen with more scheduled.

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<v Speaker 3>That is remarkable.

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<v Speaker 1>We're used to Texas, I guess, leading the way. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't even have to look at statistics, and folks just

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<v Speaker 1>understand that Texas usually leads the way, but Florida is

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<v Speaker 1>way out ahead this year. Now, what happened tonight There

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<v Speaker 1>was one execution in Missouri, another one was in Florida.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll start just the latest on Lance Shockley. He is

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<v Speaker 1>the one convicted killer out of Missouri, convicted of murdering

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<v Speaker 1>a state trooper. He was denied clemency by the governor

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<v Speaker 1>on Monday. Courts have turned down all of his pleas

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<v Speaker 1>to have new evidence. We'll get into that in a second.

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<v Speaker 1>But he was turned down at every turn, and then

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<v Speaker 1>finally the execution was at six o'clock local time at

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<v Speaker 1>a correctional facility in Bonetaire, Missouri.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right, And it was on Monday that the Missouri

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<v Speaker 2>governor announced his decision to reject Shockley's plea to stay

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<v Speaker 2>the execution because he was trying to buy some time

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<v Speaker 2>or his lawyers were saying that they wanted DNA testing

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<v Speaker 2>to take place on I believe six key pieces of evidence.

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't available at the time of his trial, and

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<v Speaker 2>so they wanted to be able to wait and see.

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<v Speaker 2>They had a plea in a lower coat court or

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<v Speaker 2>a file and a lower coat court that they were

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<v Speaker 2>waiting a ruling on. They wanted to stay the execution

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<v Speaker 2>to be able to see if they could do some

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<v Speaker 2>DNA testing to potentially exonerate their client. That, of course

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<v Speaker 2>was denied, and so the execution went forward as planned.

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<v Speaker 1>Well. The other one that took Blake tonight was down

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<v Speaker 1>in Florida. Samuel L excuse me, Samuel Lee Smithers. Samuel

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<v Speaker 1>Lee Smithers is the name seventy two year old man

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<v Speaker 1>convicted of killing two young women. Although his appeals rejected

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<v Speaker 1>as well as attorneys had tried to make an argument

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<v Speaker 1>that this was cruel and unusual even to be executing

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<v Speaker 1>a seventy two year old man. But all those appeals failed.

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<v Speaker 1>He was executed six o'clock eastern tonight at a correctional

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<v Speaker 1>facility near Stark, Florida. So these two cases we did

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<v Speaker 1>get some details. I should mention at least about Smithers

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<v Speaker 1>of what his day looked like. Said he got up

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<v Speaker 1>at six thirty this morning. The correctional facility reported that

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<v Speaker 1>he was He remained a compliant inmate throughout the day,

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<v Speaker 1>but he had no visitors today, no family, no nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>Also no spiritual advisor. They came by, but we got

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<v Speaker 1>word at least what his final meal. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if there's some just morbid curiosity here,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's always fascinating to hear with folks order for

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<v Speaker 1>their last metal.

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<v Speaker 3>I was just going to say the same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know why we always care, but we always

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<v Speaker 2>report on it, and for whatever reason, I'm always interested

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<v Speaker 2>in hearing what it was. But Smither's last meal was

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<v Speaker 2>fried chicken, fried fish, along with apple pie and ice cream,

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<v Speaker 2>and so he kept it simple. But yeah, spent the

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<v Speaker 2>day alone by himself on what.

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<v Speaker 1>Was turned out to be his final day here on

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<v Speaker 1>October fourteenth. Now, these two executions tonight, there's actually another

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<v Speaker 1>one scheduled tomorrow, I believe in Mississippi, and then there's

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<v Speaker 1>one on Friday in Arizona. So two more to go

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<v Speaker 1>this week. Want to go back to SHACKLEI Shockley is

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<v Speaker 1>the one who rose maintained his innocence throughout the details

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<v Speaker 1>though this two thousand and five crime he's not just

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<v Speaker 1>accused of, but he's been convicted of. Some of these

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<v Speaker 1>details are pretty heinous, that's right.

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<v Speaker 2>So a jury, by the way, did unanimously convict Shockley

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<v Speaker 2>for the death of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Carl Graham.

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<v Speaker 2>And the jury convicted Shockley of actually stalking this sergeant,

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<v Speaker 2>actually waiting for him at his home for hours for

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<v Speaker 2>him to show up. And they say the motive behind

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<v Speaker 2>his decision to murder this state trooper was that he

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<v Speaker 2>was investigating he was investigating a case of manslaughter.

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<v Speaker 3>So he was investigating.

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<v Speaker 2>Shockli for manslaughter and in order, according to the evidence

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<v Speaker 2>presented at trial, he was he killed the state trooper

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<v Speaker 2>to try and basically stop the investigation into manslaughter.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, but the way they say he went about this,

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<v Speaker 1>at least these details. He was at the house waiting

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<v Speaker 1>for hours at this man's house. This wasn't some spur

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<v Speaker 1>of the moment thing as far as these details that

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<v Speaker 1>came out or a fit of rage. They say he stalked,

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<v Speaker 1>He sat there for hours waiting on him to come home,

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<v Speaker 1>and when he got out of his vehicle, shot him

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<v Speaker 1>in the back. The guy's down, he goes and shoots

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<v Speaker 1>him in the head. Now, these are the details that

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<v Speaker 1>came out, and this is the guy who claims he's innocent.

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<v Speaker 1>And you could see given the details really of this crime,

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<v Speaker 1>and when it's involving a state trooper, who's involving a

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<v Speaker 1>law enforcement officer, a governor is not going to you

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<v Speaker 1>better be damn sure with your evidence or there's not

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<v Speaker 1>going to be a lot of tolerance for that.

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<v Speaker 2>His attorneys say, however, that the prosecution's timeline didn't work out,

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<v Speaker 2>that there was no actual forensic evidence tying Shockly to

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<v Speaker 2>the case. There was no eye witness accounts tying him

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<v Speaker 2>to the case. However, some of the details in court

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<v Speaker 2>were the vehicle he driving, I believe he had borrowed

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<v Speaker 2>his grandmother's vehicle.

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<v Speaker 3>Some of the shell casings, they say, matched at his.

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<v Speaker 2>Uncle's house, So there was some actual physical evidence tying

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<v Speaker 2>him to the crime. But his attorneys again were asking

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<v Speaker 2>for some DNA testing to take place, just trying to

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<v Speaker 2>at least have some sort of time or some window

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<v Speaker 2>of time to try and get that evidence or at

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<v Speaker 2>least that evidence looked at.

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<v Speaker 1>And they yes, you could argue, of course you should.

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<v Speaker 1>You want to be sure. They were throwing everything at

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<v Speaker 1>the wall, see if anything would stick here at this

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<v Speaker 1>kind of late hour. Look, we covered another case recently

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<v Speaker 1>where there was a lot of doubt and a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people were pleading to spare a man's life for

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<v Speaker 1>different reasons. And the other cases even down in Texas.

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<v Speaker 1>Robertson right, there's a stay of execution there because of evidence,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's right people making an argument for innocence. This

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<v Speaker 1>isn't one of.

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<v Speaker 2>Those cases that has not been anything. They just want

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity to try and look at some new possible evidence.

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<v Speaker 2>But yet there was nothing that was significant in any way,

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<v Speaker 2>shape or form.

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<v Speaker 3>Something that was interesting though about this case.

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<v Speaker 2>Even though the jury unanimously convicted Shockley in the murder

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<v Speaker 2>in Graham's murder, they were not unanimous in their decision

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<v Speaker 2>to sentence him to death, So they were actually split

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<v Speaker 2>between life in prison or the death penalty. And this

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<v Speaker 2>is when the judge stepped in and made the decision

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<v Speaker 2>and sentenced him to death. And you asked, actually, wait,

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<v Speaker 2>there aren't many states where that's actually legal, And you're right.

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<v Speaker 2>Just two states, the state of Missouri and the state

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<v Speaker 2>of Indiana, are the only two states in this country

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<v Speaker 2>where a judge can impose a death sentence when the

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<v Speaker 2>jury is split on the decision.

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<v Speaker 3>I didn't know that was even possible at all.

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<v Speaker 1>And Shockley just happened to be in one of those

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<v Speaker 1>states where a judge is allowed to do that, and

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<v Speaker 1>a judge did in fact do so. Also, the back

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<v Speaker 1>down to Florida smithers the crime down there. This is

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<v Speaker 1>pretty horrific. A double murder or what were the ages

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<v Speaker 1>of these young women? I came around, I'm I'm sorry

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<v Speaker 1>where I didn't mean to put you on the spot there,

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<v Speaker 1>but young women that this guy brutally murdered and dumped

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<v Speaker 1>their bodies, almost discarded them like trash in a pond

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<v Speaker 1>down in Florida. Now, this is not a case where

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<v Speaker 1>he's hooting and hollering about innocence necessarily in this one.

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<v Speaker 1>But this was a case I guess goes back to

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen ninety five ninety six.

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<v Speaker 2>So this was actually really disturbing when you start to

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<v Speaker 2>read what reportedly took place in what he was convicted of,

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<v Speaker 2>but that the property owner where he was staying actually

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<v Speaker 2>found him cleaning up a bloodied axe, and he said

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<v Speaker 2>that there had been some animals in the area, but

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<v Speaker 2>she certainly was very suspicious. And when police came to investigate,

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<v Speaker 2>that's when they found drag marks where he had dragged

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<v Speaker 2>the bodies of these two young girls and left that.

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<v Speaker 2>He said that they said that they were beaten, strangled

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<v Speaker 2>and left in the pond to die. So that is

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<v Speaker 2>just a horrific, horrific scene, but a double homicide. And

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<v Speaker 2>when you look and you hear just the details of

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<v Speaker 2>this crime, it is fairly sickening, to say the very least.

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<v Speaker 1>And again they tried all options here as well. They

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<v Speaker 1>tried as much as they could and tried every option

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<v Speaker 1>they had, but exhausted all appeals. So again Smithers also

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<v Speaker 1>executed for his crimes. Now, we said this is a

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<v Speaker 1>thirty six and thirty seventh executions in the country so

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<v Speaker 1>far this year. That is the most we've seen in

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<v Speaker 1>this country since twenty fourteen, I believe. Now that sounds

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<v Speaker 1>like a lot roam, But historically you go back to

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<v Speaker 1>nineties and around that time we're regularly doing forty fifty

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<v Speaker 1>sixty one. You even had ninety eight resecutions I think

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<v Speaker 1>in nineteen ninety nine. So it seems like this is

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<v Speaker 1>an uptick here in recent years. But I guess historically speaking,

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<v Speaker 1>we're not necessarily knocking on the door some of those

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<v Speaker 1>bigger numbers.

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<v Speaker 3>We're going back to where we used to be. And

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<v Speaker 3>maybe it seems like making up for lost time.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh wow, And there might be something to that, folks. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>this isn't just an accident or fluke thing that's happening

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<v Speaker 1>right now. There are reasons why there has been an

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<v Speaker 1>uptick in the number of executions this year. We will

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<v Speaker 1>explain why when we come back, and yes, it has

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<v Speaker 1>something to do with Trump putting his signature on a

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<v Speaker 1>proclamation or right, folks, welcome back. We continue now on

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<v Speaker 1>this evening of October fourteenth, in which two more inmates

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<v Speaker 1>Death row inmates were executed this evening, one in Missouri,

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<v Speaker 1>one in Florida. The one in Florida a twice a

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<v Speaker 1>double convicted murderer, the other convicted of killing law enforcement

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<v Speaker 1>officer in the state of Missouri. Now Roles, it seemed

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<v Speaker 1>like we have been doing an awful lot of stories

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<v Speaker 1>lately about executions, and yes, there have been more this

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<v Speaker 1>year than in previous years. Six were scheduled in an

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<v Speaker 1>eight day stretch here in the US, or kind of

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<v Speaker 1>right in the middle of that six scheduled. One of them,

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<v Speaker 1>at least we know there was a stay. The one in.

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<v Speaker 3>Texas, Texas Robert Robertson.

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<v Speaker 2>So he had been convicted all those years ago for

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<v Speaker 2>the murder of his two year old daughter, Nikki with

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<v Speaker 2>shaken baby syndrome science which is now considered junk science.

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<v Speaker 2>There have been dozens of exonerations now that we know

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<v Speaker 2>more about how infants can die in ways other than

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<v Speaker 2>and that could mimic abuse, and so yes, because of

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<v Speaker 2>those factors, he has finally received after several efforts over

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<v Speaker 2>the last ten years by his lawyers, he has received

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<v Speaker 2>a stay of execution so that he can present new

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<v Speaker 2>evidence in his.

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<v Speaker 3>Case and we'll see where it goes from there. But

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<v Speaker 3>he was supposed to be executed.

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<v Speaker 1>It's on the sixteenth, in two days, yes, so that

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<v Speaker 1>would have been wow. We would have had executions Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

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<v Speaker 1>Friday of this week in the United States. So yes,

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<v Speaker 1>there's one scheduled four tomorrow on Wednesday night, right, and

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<v Speaker 1>then another scheduled on Friday in Arizona. But the numbers

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking about, you go back to twenty fourteen, there

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<v Speaker 1>were thirty five executions in the country, but after that,

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<v Speaker 1>leading up to this year twenty fifteen, there were twenty eight.

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<v Speaker 1>Then after that twenty twenty three, twenty five, twenty two, seventeen, eleven, eighteen,

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<v Speaker 1>those were pandemic years, so those were down then, and

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<v Speaker 1>then twenty four executions, then twenty five last year, and

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<v Speaker 1>now here we are at thirty five. And what is

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<v Speaker 1>the number. I think somewhere around ten are still scheduled,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe eight or nine still scheduled for the rest correct

0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.080
<v Speaker 1>of this year, so that number is going to go up.

0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:54.160
<v Speaker 1>So why is it happening? I mean, part of this is,

0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:57.440
<v Speaker 1>I don't want to say a backlog, but there was

0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.640
<v Speaker 1>a stretch in which there was a difficult time in

0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.240
<v Speaker 1>some of these states and getting the drugs they needed

0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:04.640
<v Speaker 1>correct to actually carry out execution, and there.

0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.880
<v Speaker 2>Were a lot of concerns about cruel and unusual punishment.

0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:11.920
<v Speaker 2>There were reports of seeing people physically appear to be

0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:14.200
<v Speaker 2>or sound as if they were in pain while they

0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.760
<v Speaker 2>were being administered these lethal injections, so much so that

0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:19.680
<v Speaker 2>a lot of prisoners, upon hearing reports of that on

0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:23.120
<v Speaker 2>death row switched. Many times they can choose how they

0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.240
<v Speaker 2>want to die, they were choosing, and they have chosen

0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:30.320
<v Speaker 2>things like a firing squad or nitrogen gas because they're

0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:34.800
<v Speaker 2>so afraid of or concerned about the reports surrounding lethal injections.

0:13:34.840 --> 0:13:37.000
<v Speaker 1>And then then we get reports of one of the

0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:40.120
<v Speaker 1>firing squad things not working exactly right, they missed the

0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:43.600
<v Speaker 1>target correct, and then something with the nitrogen the gas

0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.480
<v Speaker 1>that was I don't know what was the report, and

0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:48.680
<v Speaker 1>so something about that one as well. There's always something.

0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.200
<v Speaker 2>There's always something, and there is human error. I mean,

0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.440
<v Speaker 2>Florida now is putting out exactly how it's carrying out

0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:58.080
<v Speaker 2>its lethal injection. They say they have a three drug

0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:02.200
<v Speaker 2>injection protocol. They use a set, a paralytic, and then

0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:03.880
<v Speaker 2>the drug that stops the heart.

0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:05.559
<v Speaker 3>That's according to the Department of Corrections.

0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.040
<v Speaker 2>But they're trying to be transparent about how they go

0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:10.840
<v Speaker 2>about of the order in which they use the drugs. Certainly,

0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.440
<v Speaker 2>I witnessed an execution. I was twenty three, so what

0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:16.400
<v Speaker 2>was that almost thirty years ago in South Carolina? And

0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:20.960
<v Speaker 2>the man I saw die certainly appeared to be extremely uncomfortable,

0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.560
<v Speaker 2>to the point where it was very difficult to witness

0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:26.680
<v Speaker 2>and watch. So that was right around the time of

0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:28.800
<v Speaker 2>those reports. And so yeah, we saw some states put

0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.400
<v Speaker 2>a moratorium, some states just try to figure out what

0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.040
<v Speaker 2>the correct drug protocol is. And then yet people couldn't

0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.960
<v Speaker 2>get their hands actual states couldn't get their hands on

0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:41.320
<v Speaker 2>the correct to drugs because certain drug companies were stopping

0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:43.920
<v Speaker 2>disseminating them in protests.

0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:47.800
<v Speaker 1>You pointed out just now you brought up a fascinating

0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:51.720
<v Speaker 1>contradiction in a country where we have the death penalty,

0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.920
<v Speaker 1>but we want to kill you as comfortably as possible,

0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:59.080
<v Speaker 1>like we constitutionally we can kill you, but it's we

0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.960
<v Speaker 1>violated a constitute rights if you are uncomfortable when we do.

0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.200
<v Speaker 1>So what a country. I mean, that's just fascinating to think.

0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:07.800
<v Speaker 1>I didn't think about it the way you put it.

0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:09.960
<v Speaker 1>We're fighting and fighting and fighting to make sure we

0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:10.920
<v Speaker 1>kill people.

0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:15.160
<v Speaker 2>But we mainly yeah, yes, without pain. I don't know

0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.520
<v Speaker 2>if it's possible though, I mean, that's the thing. I

0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.000
<v Speaker 2>do believe there is an attempt to do that, Yeah,

0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.640
<v Speaker 2>and to do so, but it still seems like it's

0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:25.000
<v Speaker 2>an extremely difficult thing to accomplish.

0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.680
<v Speaker 1>So yes, So that has helped, I guess contribute to

0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:31.160
<v Speaker 1>I guess a bit of an uptick the other thing. Yes,

0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:33.880
<v Speaker 1>several states are kind of driving this, and I think

0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:37.040
<v Speaker 1>everybody knows them pretty much. Four states of the thirty

0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:40.800
<v Speaker 1>five executions. If people are listening right now, which four

0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.440
<v Speaker 1>states do you think you could probably name them before

0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:45.520
<v Speaker 1>we even answer the question.

0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.200
<v Speaker 2>I think that three of them are very obvious. The

0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:50.440
<v Speaker 2>last one might be a little bit. You could go

0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:53.360
<v Speaker 2>between a few different states. CA. So I would have

0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:55.640
<v Speaker 2>known South Carolina just because I reported and lived there,

0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:58.200
<v Speaker 2>and that's where I witness my execution. They were known

0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.360
<v Speaker 2>to be very tough on the death penalty. So yes,

0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:04.640
<v Speaker 2>I think everyone would say Texas and Florida, South Carolina.

0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:06.640
<v Speaker 3>I wouldn't have necessarily gone with Alabama.

0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:08.800
<v Speaker 2>I would have thought it could have been Georgia, Louisiana,

0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:12.600
<v Speaker 2>another Southern state, but I wouldn't have known Alabama.

0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:15.000
<v Speaker 1>That map is fascinating. They have those maps of where

0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:18.120
<v Speaker 1>the death penalty and it is happening. All the southern

0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:22.880
<v Speaker 1>states are lit up in northeast, nothing like what is

0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:25.120
<v Speaker 1>it in only twenty I'm not gonna get my numbers right,

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:26.520
<v Speaker 1>but it's twenty seven and twenty three.

0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:30.000
<v Speaker 2>Twenty seven states have the death penalty, twenty three states

0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:33.640
<v Speaker 2>do not. Yes, so we're I mean, that's a pretty

0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:35.200
<v Speaker 2>big divide.

0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:36.880
<v Speaker 1>And even in some of the states that do have

0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:38.920
<v Speaker 1>the death penalty, some of the governors sometimes put a

0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:41.000
<v Speaker 1>moratorium on it and it's not being used even though

0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:45.240
<v Speaker 1>it's on the books. But yeah, the other thing that contributed,

0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:49.040
<v Speaker 1>I'd be honest with you, I don't remember. He had

0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:51.080
<v Speaker 1>so many executive orders it was hard to keep her

0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:53.160
<v Speaker 1>the president, but this was one he signed, right after

0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:56.040
<v Speaker 1>getting into office. And I guess the title explains it.

0:16:56.160 --> 0:17:00.520
<v Speaker 2>Yes, signed January twentieth, twenty twenty five, that would be

0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:04.680
<v Speaker 2>the day he was born into office. It's called restoring

0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:08.400
<v Speaker 2>the death penalty and protecting public safety.

0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:11.000
<v Speaker 1>So there's a lot in there, but he's essentially directing

0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:15.240
<v Speaker 1>the Department of Justice to enforce, to go after and

0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.560
<v Speaker 1>every chance they can the death Penalon also directed them

0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:22.280
<v Speaker 1>to support states in whatever way they can, including making

0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.600
<v Speaker 1>sure drugs are available for execution.

0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:27.320
<v Speaker 2>Well, and it's interesting when you see him in this

0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.760
<v Speaker 2>executive order pushing the capital punishment. He said that he

0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:35.040
<v Speaker 2>wants the Attorney General to pursue federal jurisdiction and seek

0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:39.720
<v Speaker 2>the death penalty regardless of other factors for every federal

0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:43.320
<v Speaker 2>capital crime involving number one, the murder of a law

0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:46.560
<v Speaker 2>enforcement officer. Number two, a capital crime committed by and

0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:50.240
<v Speaker 2>these are their words, an illegal, an alien illegally present

0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:50.919
<v Speaker 2>in this country.

0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:57.680
<v Speaker 3>Wow. I didn't realize that, did you see that? And then.

0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.359
<v Speaker 2>Just kept giving example after example with those two stood

0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:06.840
<v Speaker 2>out as to when and how and where the Attorney

0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:08.240
<v Speaker 2>General should seek the death penalty.

0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:10.840
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so this was some people took this and ran

0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.280
<v Speaker 1>with it. Some people got the message, and maybe the

0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:18.640
<v Speaker 1>Justice Department is being more helpful in helping states get

0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:20.960
<v Speaker 1>execution dates planned and make sure they have the drugs

0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:24.359
<v Speaker 1>their knees. So there are things that are attributing to this.

0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:29.000
<v Speaker 1>But here we are two more inmates execute it on

0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:31.480
<v Speaker 1>this night, and the week is not out. There are

0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:32.680
<v Speaker 1>a couple more still scheduled.

0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:36.080
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there's an execution scheduled in Mississippi tomorrow and one

0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:42.280
<v Speaker 2>in Arizona on Friday, And certainly we will continue to

0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:45.840
<v Speaker 2>monitor this. I mean, it's a historic year, and not

0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:47.399
<v Speaker 2>in the way that I think a lot of folks

0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.280
<v Speaker 2>feel great about. Some people might say it's about time.

0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:53.119
<v Speaker 2>Others might feel really sickened to buy where we are again,

0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:56.040
<v Speaker 2>I think we've said this before, but we are the

0:18:56.040 --> 0:19:01.399
<v Speaker 2>only Western civilized country that still has legal executions, and

0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:04.720
<v Speaker 2>yet our crime rates are among the highest in those

0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:08.879
<v Speaker 2>same Western civilized countries. So the deterrent factor of it

0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:11.800
<v Speaker 2>is really up for grabs. And there's the moral debate, obviously,

0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:14.480
<v Speaker 2>and there is a financial debate as well. It is

0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:19.640
<v Speaker 2>significantly more expensive to execute a prisoner than to maintain

0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:20.919
<v Speaker 2>them for life in prison.

0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:26.840
<v Speaker 1>I don't know if it's getting more attention. I actually

0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.119
<v Speaker 1>don't know if people are having more conversations about the

0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:32.679
<v Speaker 1>death pilding so many more serious things or excuse me,

0:19:32.920 --> 0:19:36.080
<v Speaker 1>pressing things I should say in people's lives. Maybe they

0:19:36.080 --> 0:19:39.920
<v Speaker 1>are more of these conversations going on about who we are. Man,

0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:44.320
<v Speaker 1>we are, we are something this year with these executions,

0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:46.920
<v Speaker 1>seems bizarre that we are just routinely killing folks.

0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:50.359
<v Speaker 2>But that's the United States of America right now in

0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:51.200
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty five.

0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:55.080
<v Speaker 1>Well, folks, we appreciate you. Just want to hop on

0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:57.439
<v Speaker 1>on this evening, so I hope you're having a good one.

0:19:57.480 --> 0:19:59.720
<v Speaker 1>We always appreciate you listening to us. I'm TJ. Holmes,

0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:02.600
<v Speaker 1>man of my dear Amy Robot. Will talk yo soon.