Clarence Allen, 76, Executed

Triple Murderer's Execution Was Opposed Because Of Age, Illness

(AP)  Allen's case generated far less publicity than last month's execution of Crips co-founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams, whose appeals sparked off a nationwide debate over the possibility of redemption on death row, with Hollywood stars and capital punishment foes arguing that Williams had made amends by writing children's books about the dangers of gangs.

There were only about 200 people gathered outside the prison gates before the execution, about one-tenth of the crowd that came out last month for Williams. A large sound system played rap and light rock music as the small crowd milled about.

Jes Richardson, 57, of San Geronimo, carted a 10-foot-tall papier maché statue of Mahatma Gandhi to the prison gate, along with a sign that read "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." He constructed the statue in 2003 right before the U.S. invaded Iraq, and also brought it to Williams' execution last month.

"I pay taxes. I vote. It's murder and I feel because I'm a citizen of this state I'm indirectly responsible for that murder." Richardson said.

Most of the people outside the prison were death penalty opponents, but Rudy Thered, of Sacramento, came out to remember the victims.

"I just don't like the way the victims are forgotten after 25 years. Some of these victims were dead longer than they were alive," said Thered, who has been coming to executions since 1995. "They say he shouldn't be executed because of his age. But the only reason he got there is because the system takes so long to execute him."

Allen's final meal was white-meat chicken from KFC, a buffalo steak, whole milk, sugar-free pecan pie and black walnut ice cream.

Prison spokesman Eric Messick said Allen said that his final day was a good day in which "he had a good time visiting with his family."

Allen went to prison for having his teenage son's 17-year-old girlfriend murdered for fear she would tell police about a Fresno market burglary.

While behind bars in 1980, he directed a hit man to kill seven witnesses, including Bryon Schletewitz, whose family owned Fran's Market. Schletewitz and two clerks - Douglas Scott White and Josephine Rocha - were slain. Two others in the market were injured.

The killings landed Allen and hit man Billy Ray Hamilton on death row.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California Supreme Court declined to spare Allen's life. No execution date has been set for Hamilton.

Before Allen, the oldest person executed in California since the reinstatement of the death penalty was a 61-year-old man put to death last January.

Last month in Mississippi, John B. Nixon, 77, became the oldest person executed in the United States since capital punishment resumed. He did not pursue an appeal based on his age.