U.S. Supreme court stays Powell’s execution
PETER CLHEL/AP
Paul Warner Powell (right) is led into the courtroom before sentencing May 8, 2003, at the Prince William Judicial Center.
RELATED: |
The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Paul Warner Powell set for tomorrow night in the 1999 slaying of 16-year-old Stacie Lynn Reed.
The stay will hold at least until late September when the justices have their next regular conference to consider what cases to take up in the coming term.
The high court could decide to hear Powell’s double jeopardy claim, further delaying any execution; turn him down, automatically lifting the stay; or do nothing, indicating the court may wait until it decides a different case in which another issue raised by Powell is being considered.
Powell, 31, had had asked to die in the electric chair.
After his first death sentence was thrown out, Powell, 31, got himself onto Virginia’s death row a second time for the capital murder of Reed.
Powell’s first death sentence was overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2001, saying it had to be proved that Powell had raped, robbed, or attempted to rape or rob Stacie in addition to killing her.
Believing there was no risk of execution in a retrial on a lesser charge of first-degree murder, Powell wrote a mocking letter to the prosecutor, revealing he had attempted to rape Stacie before killing her in her Manassas-area home.
That letter was the basis of the state’s second prosecution, which Powell’s lawyers contend is being tried twice for the same crime.
Reader Reactions
The Devil is mad…Because that special place in He-ll for Powell will remain empty for a lil’ while longer.
The death penalty is a touchy subject to some people, but the arrogance, and chutzpah of this sawed-off SOB should expedite him to “Old Sparky”.
Relax people. You’ll get the execution that you’re licking your chops for. The Supreme Court is hearing this so they can set a new precedent on what double jeopardy is or isn’t. Its a game that judges & lawyers play. After that, Powell will be handed back over to the mob. So enjoy your evening.
I read the whole story on what Powell did- including his intention of killing the parents of the victim. He raped the little sister of the victim- and thought he had killed her by a vicious attack afterwards. Then he writes an obscene letter to the prosecutor. IF ANYONE DESERVES THE ELECTRIC CHAIR IMMEDIATELY- POWELL DOES!!!He enjoyed what he did and should ENJOY the electric chair even more! While waiting for the next set date- they should practice on him to-make sure the chair works. Maybe he would know what it was like to BEG for mercy and no one listens.
Never heard of him. This must be *BREAKING NEWS* in some other part of Richmond.
Mr. M: to give people like you an opportunity to show their obvious command of the english language.
Waste of taxpayers money time to put him down .And citcynic Why must you always be so stupid .
The victim’s here are the parents of these girls, they are the ones that have had to go through this for how many years? So sad. And he even boasted about the crime. Sick, sick, sick!!!
Maybe they are waiting until the new “hispanic woman who can make better decisions than a white man” is approved to the bench so she can be part of commuting his sentence. What a joke.
You have GOT to be kidding me! Did he give his victims a stay of execution?? No he didn’t. So why in the world does he deserve one? Theres the problem with why the death penalty doesnt deter anyone, gonna take em more than a decade to actually kill you and by then everyone forgets. If the death penatly needs to exist then we need to find a way to make it go faster.
OMG, he’s getting away with murder! How can anyone think that this man deserves to live and that the taxpayer has to keep him alive. He is a monster that needs to be fumigated just like roaches because all he does is suck the life out of society, yeah, I believe in eye for an eye and if that had been my daughters’ I would be the one sitting on death row and gladly because he would have never made it to trial. But hey, the constitution was written for criminals so the system always works in their favor.
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement