A Case for the Morality of the Death Penalty– a Delaware Case Study
Mar 13th, 2010 by David Anderson
Guest Post by Angel Clark (of the blog Sussex County Angel)
In this, the 21st century, women are not docile, programmed to serve and procreate and nothing else. It seems Emmitt Taylor III was unaware of this. In August of 2007 he killed Stephanie Mumford by bludgeoning her to death with a frying pan because she “disrespected him by not making him dinner”. Before I discuss his sentencing, which occurred yesterday, I want to discuss his crimes.
In 2007, Emmitt Taylor III was on probation in Mississippi for aggravated assault. Despite this fact he was in Long Neck, Delaware, engaged to Stephanie Mumford. Stephanie had three children and three grandchildren. By all accounts she was a loving mother and a kind and spirited woman. The wedding was scheduled for August 18th, 2007. On August 14th, when the pair didn’t show up to their scheduled rehearsal her family went to her house to make sure she was alright. Unfortunately, she wasn’t.
Four times before her death Stephanie had called a family friend in despair. Throughout these calls Taylor could be heard yelling at her in the background. Taylor had seemingly bragged to co-workers about beating her, discussing in detail knocking out her teeth and chocking her until she lost consciousness. Two weeks prior to her death neighbors saw Taylor punching Stephanie in the parking lot of their home. Domestic violence was obviously an issue here, along with Taylor (whom police describe as being 6ft 4in tall and around 200 pounds) having anger management and control issues.
So, it’s time for the reason I’m delving into this gruesome tale. Emmitt Taylor III was sentenced to the death penalty yesterday. I have been reading many comments about how people think the death penalty is barbaric. It is “making society as bad as its criminals” as I have read. Unfortunately, lethal injection (which Taylor was sentenced to) does not include repeated bludgeoning with a frying pan.
Despite its controversy, the death penalty is still legal in Delaware. 36 States currently have legal executions using lethal injection and the U.S military and government still authorizes it as well. Since 1991 there have been 14 legal executions in Delaware including the last hanging in the state (1996). The youngest of these was 27 at the time of death and each committed at least one murder. One particularly gruesome case was Brian Steckel. Steckel was executed in 2005 (the most recent legal execution in Delaware) on three counts of first degree murder. He raped and killed Sandra Lee Long and then set her on fire. After this he wrote letters to her mother gloating about his deeds. It cost approximately $66 a day to incarcerate this creature (I will not call him a man). That’s $24,090 a year. Despite the “immorality” people claim are associated with legal executions, I consider it to be more immoral to the mother of Sandra Lee Long to force her to pay to keep Steckel alive. Before Taylor’s sentencing yesterday there were 17 adults (juveniles do not receive the death penalty in Delaware) listed on the Department of Corrections website as being on “Death Row”. Each of these men has been found guilty of at least one count of murder.
According to the DOC “Death Row” inmates stay in a 13 foot cell which has a bed, a sink and toilet, a desk, a locker, and a television. They receive three meals a day (and probably get fresher vegetables then I do). Each may have visitors and are allowed to interview with the media. They are allowed letters, newspapers, magazines, books, and television and radio privileges. Each inmate is allowed medical and mental care as needed. Housing these murderers costs Delaware state taxpayers a total of $1,122 a day. Now, once we include Taylor, this will be $1,188 a day. We are paying $433,620 a year for these murderers to await their deaths. I consider this to be more barbaric then the act of execution itself.
I wish every …creature… on “Death Row” a shorter wait for their sentences to be carried out. In my opinion Emmitt Taylor deserves his death, and he deserves it as fast as possible so tax payer dollars are not wasted on keeping him alive any longer than necessary. I urge anyone who thinks the death penalty is barbaric to imagine their own children being submitted to the horrific acts those murdered had to go through. I imagine my family being tortured then killed and think lethal injection is too humane. Society is not as bad as its criminals, and these murderers are not victims of society. The families of those murdered and the murdered themselves are the victims and I urge people to remember that.
You can read more about the case and Attorney General Beau Biden’s statements regarding it here.
[...] Delaware Politics and Sussex County Angel have posts up (it is actually the same post by blogger Angel Clark) arguing for the morality of the death penalty in Delaware. But Angel Clark does not argue morality. She argues the fiscal aspect of the death penalty. Despite its controversy, the death penalty is still legal in Delaware. [..] Since 1991 there have been 14 legal executions in Delaware including the last hanging in the state (1996). The youngest of these was 27 at the time of death and each committed at least one murder. One particularly gruesome case was Brian Steckel. Steckel was executed in 2005 (the most recent legal execution in Delaware) on three counts of first degree murder. He raped and killed Sandra Lee Long and then set her on fire. After this he wrote letters to her mother gloating about his deeds. It cost approximately $66 a day to incarcerate this creature (I will not call him a man). That’s $24,090 a year. Despite the “immorality” people claim are associated with legal executions, I consider it to be more immoral to the mother of Sandra Lee Long to force her to pay to keep Steckel alive. [...]
“I have been reading many comments about how people think the death penalty is barbaric. It is “making society as bad as its criminals” as I have read. Unfortunately, lethal injection (which Taylor was sentenced to) does not include repeated bludgeoning with a frying pan.”
Unfortunatly for all of those people worried about being turned into barbarians by virtue of having the death penalty I think they are a little late. In cases such as this one where Mrs. Mumford had sent out at least 4 cries for help, and Taylor had been bragging about his abuse to co-workers and aquaintences the barbarian ship has already sailed. The people that knew about the problem and did nothing have already decended towards becoming “just as bad as the criminals.” Society failed Mrs. Mumford and her kids and grandkids.
If we as a society are worried about becoming just as bad as the killers than why do we so often allow the abuse of the people around us continue without saying a word. We know that the ultimate escalation of such abuse is murder, yet we sit by as it happens. The barbarians are already among us and we are dangerously close to fitting in with them when we choose to observe them in silence.
Join a neighborhood watch. I did. Just do something to help stop the barbarians so that you don’t have to look at one in the mirror.
The death penalty should be imposed more not less. The argument bothering me most is the money issue. The rich guy lives, the poor guy dies. OJ plays golf, some poor shmuck in Detroit gets put down like a dog. Tough to swallow.
If we had a way so money did not get you off, I would be simple. A eye for an eye. Right now it’s more like an eye for an eye unless you are rich.
Ever watch those inside prison shows? Guys that kill in prison. Absolute crazed non-human monster creatures. Why are they not executed. Letting them live is barbaric.
I agree with Think123, but that has been less an issue in Delaware.
In 2000 in Delaware poor black guy Dwayne Weeks got put down for killing his wife and her boyfriend in a fit of rage. In 2001 poor black guy Cornelius Ferguson was executed for killing a guy in a drug deal. Rich white guy Tom Capano kills his girlfriend, puts her in a cooler, shoots up her corpse before feeding her to the fish. In 2006 the Court decided to overturn his death sentence. He will not be put down. It cost Capano a fortune to get that death sentence appealed in his favor.
That’s the whole trouble with this.
Think123 I am inclined to agree with both you and Tim. If someone can afford a good lawyer, chances are you could kill in front of a crowd and get out of jail a year later (If you’re in at all). People need to learn that there are consequences for their actions (no matter how big your bank account).
Tim, indifference of some is not indifference of all. “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” In this situation Tyranny won, but that is not always the case. I’m sure part of the reason why there are so few murders in Delaware has to do with neighborhood watches and domestic abuse hotlines, family, friends, and neighbors that do help when a desperate call is received.
Tim, I hate for this to sound like my usual anti government rants, but part of the problem is that many people have been conditioned to wait for an official response. Unfortunately Mrs. Mumford did not cry out to an official organization.
And on the cost of keeping these monsters alive, let us not forget the cost to the state after the conviction , of the endless numbers of appeals.
Let us remember, capital punishment is not a deterrent, but it is a solution. Once these animals are put out of our misery, they can never harm anyone ever again, not even in prison.
My conservative friends always dump on me when I tell them I am opposed to the death penalty.
Yes, if someone caused a death in my family I would enjoy skinning them alive and using the criminal’s head as a soccer ball-but that opportunity will not happen.
In the end pro life is pro life to me and given the vagaries of the legal system I would strongly support true Life without parole.
I remember during the Capano trial and a group of us at Mass were talking with Father Francis about what a dirt bag Capano was and we were admonished to pray for Ms Fahey’s family and Mr. Capano also. I did not get it at first but now I do.
Mike Protack
I bludgeoned my first wife with a frying pan for making me dinner.
Mr. Protack, the difference between abortion and the death penalty is that the unborn child is innocent. The animal that kills his wife for not fixing dinner is not. Many of these killers have killed multiple times and would kill again.
If a pitbull dog mauls a person they are usually put down to protect society from any further attacks. The dog is acting on instinct and does not know that its actions are wrong. These killers on the other hand , no matter how warped they are , do know that their actions were wrong, and made a choice to kill . That is why they attempt to hide their crimes and also in many cases flee to avoid capture.
As for your idea of true life in prison, well I’m not sure that it is right for some of these killers to have better accommodations than do some citizens who would be paying the taxes to house these animals.