|
|
|
Stories of those Affected |
 Print
The following testimonies are taken from Murder Victims for Human Rights:
Ron Callen
Ron Callen's 86-year-old mother, Leona, was beaten and murdered in her home by a man who had apparently been surprised in the middle of a burglary. Though the prosecutor initially planned to seek the death penalty, he changed his mind after the Callen family made clear that they would not support that sentence. The murderer was sentenced to a long-prison term - essentially a life sentence.
Ron had testified against reinstatement of the death penalty in his home state of Michigan, and he and his wife Carolyn have been frequent speakers to school, university, and church groups.
"It is often a surprise for people to hear that we do not find solace in the death of yet another person. But other than hatred, fear, and retribution, there is no reason for the death penalty. It is not a deterrent - my mother's murderer was intent on robbery. And in his drug-infested brain, there could be no rational consideration of the pros and cons of his act. The death penalty went from abstract to real for us in 1991, but we have learned that there is no need for a state to kill its citizens."
Bill Babbitt
Bill Babbitt's brother, Manny Babbitt, was executed in San Quentin prison in 1999 after being convicted of the murder of Leah Schendel, who suffered a heart attack after Manny broke into her home. Manny had served two tours of duty in Vietnam and had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia.
Bill has testified against the death penalty before lawmakers in California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and his story has been told in several newspapers, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Los Angeles Times, and in books and film documentaries. He has been an active spokesperson against recent executions in California.
"The police promised me that Manny would get the help he needed. For the rest of my life I have to live with the fact that I turned my brother in and that led to his death. I wish we had been able to get Manny the help that he needed. I wish that as a society we would devote our resources to treating people like Manny instead of imposing the death penalty and creating more funerals, more grief, more tears."
|
|
