Georgia Executes First Inmate In 7 Months

Death Penalty Had Effectively Been On Hold While Supreme Court Ruled On Constitutionality Of Lethal Injections

(CBS/AP)  A Georgia man has become the first inmate put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of executions by lethal injection.

Convicted killer William Earl Lynd was pronounced dead at 7:51 p.m., a state prisons official says.

Lynd, 53, was convicted of kidnapping and shooting to death his 26-year-old girlfriend two days before Christmas in 1988.

The Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay of execution for Lynd, Tuesday, clearing the way for the landmark execution.

Lynd became the first death row inmate executed since the Supreme Court upheld the current lethal injection method last month, ending a de facto moratorium on capital punishment in the United States. The last execution took place on Sept. 25.

The Supreme Court ruled last month in a Kentucky case that the state's method of executing inmates with a three-drug cocktail did not violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Roughly three dozen states, including Georgia, use a similar method.

Fourteen other executions are scheduled in the next six months across America. But as CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports, more states are reconsidering capital punishment, and reaching very different conclusions.

Wrongful convictions are one reason why lawmakers in five states are seriously debating repealing capital punishment. But five other states have moved in a very different direction -- passing laws that expanded death row to execute people convicted of a crime other than murder.

Lynd has already selected his final meal: two pepper jack barbecue burgers with crisp onions; two baked potatoes with sour cream, bacon and cheese; and a strawberry milkshake.

Death penalty opponents planned vigils around Georgia on Tuesday.

"In light of the many well-documented problems with our death penalty system, it is disturbing that Georgia is rushing to lead the country in resuming the death penalty machinery," said Laura Moye, chairwoman of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Lynd, now 53, was sentenced to die for kidnapping and shooting his live-in girlfriend, Ginger Moore, 26, in south Georgia in 1988, after the two consumed Valium, marijuana and alcohol. Prosecutors said she suffered a slow, agonizing death, regaining consciousness twice after being shot in the head.

The five-member Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday rejected Lynd's clemency appeal without comment.

Texas conducted the nation's last execution, putting Michael Richard to death on Sept. 25, 2007, the same day the Supreme Court agreed to consider the Kentucky case, brought by two prisoners who claimed the lethal injection method violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

On Monday, a Texas judge set an Aug. 5 lethal injection date for Jose Medellin, 33, for his participation in the gang rape and strangulation deaths of two teenage girls when they stumbled upon a gang initiation rite 15 years ago in Houston.

The death sentence for the Mexican-born Medellin set off an international dispute and a U.S. Supreme Court rebuke of the White House after the high court in March refused to hear his appeal, saying President Bush overstepped his authority by ordering Texas to reopen his case and the cases of 50 other Mexican nationals condemned for murders in the U.S.

In Mississippi, the state Supreme Court scheduled a May 21 execution for Earl Wesley Berry, convicted of kidnapping Mary Bounds from the parking lot of the First Baptist Church in Houston on Nov. 29, 1987. He beat her viciously then dumped her body in the woods.

Attorney General Jim Hood had requested that Berry be executed Monday, his 49th birthday. However, the court set the date for later this month after rejecting arguments from Berry's lawyers that he should be spared because he is mentally disabled and that the method of lethal injection is unconstitutional.

The U.S. Supreme Court had blocked Berry's last scheduled execution on Oct. 30, 2007, to consider the Kentucky case.

[obamawhama]

which may I add,, indicates that these people are not after ''justice'' but more on protecting criminals.

[obamawhama]

This execution was NOT DELAYED because there were any doubts that he commited the crime..it was prolonged by dubious tactics by bleeding heart liberals such as ''cruel and unusual punishment'' loopholes..

[hippychicky-2009]

More often than not", "Most of the time"....
Common were talking about the taking of a human life here, whats the *** hurry! I''''m not that happy in the first place that my state is in the killing business to begin with. I sure as hell don''''t want them circumventing the system just so they can McDonaldize the process by taking away somebodies constitutional rights. I cant understand why my countryman are so damned bloodthirsty, so ready to off somebody they dont even know. Canada has little to no violent crime and no capital punishment either. England the same. What the hell is wrong with us!

Posted by chefjohn4

I can see where you are coming from. But, I don''t think we should do away with capital punishment. But that punishment should be reserved for specific crimes.
It would depend on the nature of the crime for me whether or not I would want to see someone punished or not. (put to death)
Personally this guy to me seemed like there might have been a reasonable doubt, because of the drugs involved in the crime. Then sentence him to hard labor for life. But don''t make me pay for it.
Now, crimes againest children, the elderly,and MR/MI people should hold swifter and harsher punishments.
There are no excuses for those such crimes.

[chefjohn4]

"More often than not", "Most of the time"....
Common were talking about the taking of a human life here, whats the *** hurry! I''m not that happy in the first place that my state is in the killing business to begin with. I sure as hell don''t want them circumventing the system just so they can McDonaldize the process by taking away somebodies constitutional rights. I cant understand why my countryman are so damned bloodthirsty, so ready to off somebody they dont even know. Canada has little to no violent crime and no capital punishment either. England the same. What the hell is wrong with us!

[mexinvasion]

Too bad we had to feed the dog for so many years before euthanizing him.

[hippychicky-2009]

hippychicky- So we just trash the whole appeal process system and line the suckers up and what...shoot em. Hey would''''nt it be cheaper just to put them all in a room and drop gas in through the ceiling. Then we could burn em in an oven and just throw there ashes to the wind. Seig Hiel Baby!!!!

Posted by chefjohn4

Thats right I am a nazi now...lol. You just have no idea how funny that remark is.
No I am not saying ditch the appeals system, but cap it for goodness sake. More often than not the people who end up in prison are guilty, there is a much larger percent of guilty than not.

[hippychicky-2009]

$60 billion a year goes to fund our jail systems. Thats impressive.

[chefjohn4]

hippychicky- So we just trash the whole appeal process system and line the suckers up and what...shoot em. Hey would''nt it be cheaper just to put them all in a room and drop gas in through the ceiling. Then we could burn em in an oven and just throw there ashes to the wind. Seig Hiel Baby!!!!

[hippychicky-2009]

"Lynd, 53, was convicted of kidnapping and shooting to death his 26-year-old girlfriend two days before Christmas in 1988."

That right there is the real problem, who do you think kept him clothed and fed all those years, who do you think payed for appeal after appeal...ding ding ding...the American Taxpayers.
I worked in the 6th largest jail in the nation. There is no such thing as criminal rehabilitation.
If the person is found guilty without a reasonable doubt, there punishment should be swift.
I would rather my tax money go to bettering the education system, the homeless, people with disabilities, or veterans.

[chefjohn4]

"Iwould insist on DNA evidence"
minnick8 11:43AM : May 07, 2008

You would insist? And if they said no?
Face it inocent people have been executed in this country, and we cant bring them back. We can however not institute a permenent punishment through an imperfect system.

[chefjohn4]

"Iwould insist on DNA evidence"
minnick8 11:43AM : May 07, 2008

You would insist? And if they said no?
Face it inocent people have been executed in this country, and we cant bring them back. We can however not institute a permenent punishment through an imperfect system.

[minnick8-2009]

You won''''t see anything because when you are dead, you are dead. Remember before you were born? Of course not. Because you weren''''t alive. That''''s how it will be when you die.

You can''t prove it anymore than I can prove it. So, I guess we shall see.

[minnick8-2009]

How would you feel if one of your kids or your husband was wrongfully accused and the one lying on the gurney? Would you believe that it was "just the price of justice".

I would insist on DNA evidence at the crime scene. If it were my husband''s DNA or my child, I would kiss them goodbye.

[minnick8-2009]

I would never feel better hugging a democrat.

[chefjohn4]

Pensecola88 - Look at Dallas county Texas. They execute more people than Iran yet they have the worst crime rate in the Nation. Miami Fla, secound biggest crime rate yet guess what...thats right lots of executions. Get the picture.

[chefjohn4]

Liberal, Bed wetter, Left Coast etc.....

You been watching far to much "Fair and Balanced" TV.
As Iv''e stated before you right wing nuts spew nothing but hate. I mean common what exactly does H8er stand for.

[pensacola88]

Georgia has a big problem: They outlawed murder and are spending more and more each passing year to prosecute, convict and execute the offenders who commit murder. Georgia has other big problems, like severe water shortages, urban blight in big cities, hateful extremist religious supporters and under-educated populations. I am amazed how they place a high priority on successful execution over their other priorities which clearly have more beneficiaries if they were resolved.

[beehive21-2009]

Let the killing begin,let it be known if you kill,society will kill you.Why, the killers rapers etc. are too weak and feeble minded to kill themselves .so, no problem we shall carry it out,for the weak persons whom love to hurt others ,and are to weak to take there own lives.The lawyers made plenty on this punk ,and are laughing all the way to the bank.

[libh8er]

mentality that closes your mind off to rational thought.
Posted by chefjohn4 at 09:38 AM : May 07, 2008

Maybe you''ve been smoking too much cumin. I noticed your Ubama reference to those who "cling" to God and guns. Guess that''s a leftcoast mentality your agree with. Don''t hand me your condecending liberal horse squeeze. If being a bedwetting lib works for you, for be it from me to wake you up.

Do us all a favor chef....put an egg in your shoe and BEAT IT!

[chefjohn4]

libh8er-
Why is it that any opinion that is not yours is "misguided". Maybe its that whole right wing "Guns and God" mentality that closes your mind off to rational thought.