John Blackwelder

The State of Florida was scheduled to execute John Blackwelder today. Blackwelder volunteered for execution by waiving all of his appeals. A convicted child molester, Blackwelder confessed to killing fellow prisoner Raymond Wigley in order to receive the death penalty. He then thanked Florida Governor Jeb Bush for signing his death warrant. However, Governor Bush delayed his execution by 24 hours today when he received a letter from another prisoner who claimed someone else had confessed to killing Wigley. Either way, Blackwelder's scheduled execution was, in my opinion, a tragedy (you're surprised right?). Executing Blackwelder essentially sets the precedent that if you don't like your life in prison, you should kill someone in your prison environment and the state will then assist you in your suicide. After all, if you WANT to kill yourself, the state will not allow you to do so (in fact, most death row inmates are on "suicide watch"). It would rather spend thousands of dollars for the chance to kill you itself. In Blackwelder's case, this assisted suicide would also include the intentional murder of another human being. I don't see how anyone, no matter how you feel about capital punishment, could feel good about executing such an inmate. Its a slippery slope, and all it does is encourage struggling inmates to commit murder.

Execution delayed of man who wanted to die