Renewed Death Penalty Debate Ignites After Recent Executions In Two States

"Gavel with 'Death Penalty' text background."

The recent executions in Missouri and Texas have revived intense national discussions about the death penalty in the United States.

At a Glance

  • Death row inmates in five states are scheduled for execution within one week, an unusually high number.
  • This defies a yearslong trend of decline in the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S.
  • The first execution was carried out in South Carolina on Friday.
  • Two more executions took place in Missouri and Texas on Tuesday evening.
  • If the remaining executions in Alabama and Oklahoma are carried out, it will be the first time since July 2003 that five executions occurred in seven days.

Recent Executions in Missouri and Texas

Missouri executed Marcellus Williams, 55, for the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, despite last-minute efforts challenging the process used in his conviction. Texas executed Travis Mullis, 38, for the 2008 death of his infant son, Alijah. Williams’ appeals and clemency request were denied, while Mullis, who had a history of mental illness, had waived his right to appeal.

These executions have led to renewed debates over the effectiveness and morality of capital punishment in the U.S. If both Alabama and Oklahoma carry out their scheduled executions, the U.S. will see five executions in a single week for the first time since 2003. This raises questions not only about the judicial processes involved but also about the societal and ethical implications of such actions.

A Week of Unprecedented Executions

The first execution of the week took place in South Carolina on Friday with the execution of Freddie Owens for a 1997 killing. On Tuesday, Missouri and Texas followed with the executions of Marcellus Williams and Travis Mullis, respectively. The scheduled executions in Alabama and Oklahoma could culminate in a historic week for capital punishment in the U.S., marking a significant deviation from the declining trend of executions over recent years.

Factors impacting the recent spate of executions include the exhaustion of inmates’ appeals and the ability to procure necessary lethal drugs. Historically, botched executions and difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs have led to execution backlogs, significantly affecting states’ capacity to carry out death sentences.

The National Conversation

These executions come ahead of planned executions in Oklahoma, Alabama, and the return to capital punishment in South Carolina after a 13-year hiatus. In Oklahoma, Emmanuel Littlejohn is scheduled for execution for his role in a 1992 robbery and shooting, though the Pardon and Parole Board has recommended clemency. In Alabama, Alan Miller is set to be executed using nitrogen gas for the killing of three men in 1999. This will mark the second execution using this method.

Proponents and opponents alike scrutinize the death penalty’s place in the justice system, questioning both its moral standing and efficacy as a deterrent to crime. The completion of this week’s executions will bring the total number of executions in the U.S. to 1,600 since the practice was reinstated in 1976.

Sources:

  1. https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-alabama-missouri-texas-south-carolina-d77a31bea7a4839424afc8889c7d8755
  2. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/curriculum/high-school/about-the-death-penalty/arguments-for-and-against-the-death-penalty
  3. https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article5351967.html
  4. https://www.aclu.org/documents/case-against-death-penalty
  5. https://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/states-and-capital-punishment
  6. https://ndaa.org/wp-content/uploads/death_penalty_oct_nov_dec_08_Pros.pdf
  7. https://www.npr.org/2023/12/01/1215757307/executions-death-penalty-report-increase
  8. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/us/us-executions-death-penalty-dg/index.html
  9. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/upcoming-executions

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