Killer executed after Schwarzenegger rejects mercy plea


California carried out its first execution in three years yesterday after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a final appeal for clemency from a triple killer.

Donald Beardslee, 61, who murdered three women, was given a lethal injection shortly after midnight in San Quentin prison.

Mr Schwarzenegger earlier issued a detailed statement rejecting pleas for mercy, citing Beardslee's "grisly and senseless killings".

The US supreme court also dismissed requests for a stay of execution.

Beardslee, who was convicted of murdering two women in 1981 over a drug deal while on parole for the killing of a third, was the 11th prisoner executed since California restored the death penalty in 1978. He was the first to die under Mr Schwarzenegger's governorship.

The governor has freed a far higher percentage of "lifers" recommended for parole than his Democrat predecessor, Gray Davis and some thought this would be reflected in the Beardslee case.

But the former film star's 2,000-word statement outlined Beardslee's crimes and even took his high school and college results into account to reject defence claims that he was mentally ill.

Mr Schwarzenegger has stressed his belief that the death penalty is a "a necessary and effective deterrent to capital crimes". Beardslee, an air force veteran, was sentenced to death in 1984 after confessing to shooting Stacey Benjamin, 19, and choking and slashing the throat of Patty Geddling, 23.

His lawyers had argued that he should be jailed for life without parole.

Does this make Arnie the real Terminator?

It'd be cruel irony if the first person to be executed under his govenorship was called Sarah Connor.

I wonder if anyone has actually checked if Donald Beardslee is still dead!?

Or if any sunglasses have recently gone missing in San Quentin prison... :wow:

Nice title to the thread Natalie...Arnie for President :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

And they've waited 20 years to execute him... Pretty much of California's money wasted to keep him since his first judgement...

Does it really take that long for the death sentence to be carried? Makes you wonder if there's any point.

Originally posted by owdlad
Nice title to the thread Natalie...Arnie for President :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
i aim to please! cant believe theyve been feeding clothing and housing him for 20 yrs. maybe we should adopt arnie attitude? or maybe i could just adopt arnie:D

He'd only feel your bum!

alegedly :hihi:

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
He'd only feel your bum!

alegedly :hihi:
and the problem is......:hihi:
think we should swop BLAIR for the ROCK:D mmmmmmmm

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
and the problem is......:hihi:
think we should swop BLAIR for the ROCK:D mmmmmmmm

and Vin Diesel can be minister for sport.

Originally posted by nick2
and Vin Diesel can be minister for sport. corrrr!:thumbsup:

:o N A T A L I E !

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
:o N A T A L I E !
hehe throw me a bone here!
Have to say though im well impressed with arnie, maybe one day he'll be president!!!!:hihi:

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
hehe throw me a bone here!
Have to say though im well impressed with arnie, maybe one day he'll be president!!!!:hihi:

Dont you have to be a native american to become el presidento??

How about mini me for internal affairs. or may be john wayne bobbit. :hihi:

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
hehe throw me a bone here!
Have to say though im well impressed with arnie, maybe one day he'll be president!!!!:hihi:

Actually Natts, me too :thumbsup: Hasta le Vista baby

Originally posted by jonsastar
Dont you have to be a native american to become el presidento??

Yeah, although they are campaigning to get an amendment to the US constitution that says that people who have been citizens for say, 20 years, could run [Arnie has been a citizen since '83]. More details here :

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002036961_amendment16.html

Originally posted by Sidla
Does it really take that long for the death sentence to be carried? Makes you wonder if there's any point.

Sidla, what happens in the US, when a death sentence is passsed on a prisoner...

There's usually an automatic appeal.

If that fails, then if the prisoner can afford it, they go to another appeal...

If that fails, then they have another appeal,

Lather, rinse repeat, until the appeals process is exhausted, all the way to the supreme court.

Only once the appeals process is exhausted do the authorities execute the prisoner.

It is a laborious process. and its one that can only be gone through if you have money, or a lawyer who believes in you sufficiently enough to take on your case, on a no-fee basis.

PT

I agree, it's ridiculous how long it takes to execute someone. In the state of California, all death sentences are automatically appealed. If the accused is indigent (and almost all people on Death Row are poor) they will be provided with a lawyer.

Or in the case of this scumbag, a team of lawyers. He spent the longest amount of time on Death Row, almost 21 years. And in the end, he died a whole lot more humanely than any of his victims.

I like Arnold, I think he's doing a good job as governor, and he seems to be a good man. Decent, fair, and as honest as a politician can be. Most of the changes he's made in state government have been for the better.

I'm a little leery of changing the law about allowing non-native born folks to be president. I think this has more to do with Arnold's ego, and his ambition to rise to the top, than any real selfless desire to serve his fellow man.

You should see/hear one of his speeches! Fun stuff with his accent!

:) Sierra

I think the dealth penalty is disgusting. To kill someone for killing other people is just insane! It makes the state a killer, the governor a killer, the executioner a killer...I just don't see the point.
It doesn't make a difference if they are alive? Surely being in a prison for the rest of your life is more punishment than just ceasing to exist and being put out of your misery.

Originally posted by LBoogie
I think the dealth penalty is disgusting.

Maybe Beardslee should have though of that before he killed 3 women. Obviously the death penalty does make the governor and the state and the executioner killers, but it doesn't make them murderers. I think we should have the death penalty over here for murderers in cases where there is no doubt of their guilt.

Yes, he was guilty of murder. I'm not condoning that at all...I just think the dealth penalty is wrong, it doesn't help anybody. The murderer would suffer more if he/she were in prison for the rest of their lives.

Originally posted by LBoogie
Yes, he was guilty of murder. I'm not condoning that at all...I just think the dealth penalty is wrong, it doesn't help anybody. The murderer would suffer more if he/she were in prison for the rest of their lives.

I don't actually believe the murderer would suffer more in prison nowadays... the days of the chain gang and bread and water are long gone. Also why should the public pay to keep him alive? In my view if he has deliberately taken another person's life (and also caused immense suffering to the victim's family) then he deserves to have his life ended.

I just don't believe in two wrongs making a right...and about expense. I doubt keeping someone on death row for years, all the legal proceedings and appeals, the actual execution etc, can be that cheap either.


I just totally disagree. I don't think we can say anymore really...

Originally posted by LBoogie
I just don't believe in two wrongs making a right...

I agree. Two wrongs don't make a right.... but killing a murderer isn't a wrong. In California it is legal.

I really don't see how anyone can compare ending a murderer's life with deliberately killing an innocent person. Anyway, I guess we shall have to agree to disagree. :)

Just because something is legal doesn't make it right though..

Originally posted by nick2
and Vin Diesel can be minister for sport.

Pass me the ballot paper ;)

Originally posted by Patchy
I don't actually believe the murderer would suffer more in prison nowadays... the days of the chain gang and bread and water are long gone. Also why should the public pay to keep him alive? In my view if he has deliberately taken another person's life (and also caused immense suffering to the victim's family) then he deserves to have his life ended.

I definitely agree...

While a murderer, or attempted murderer lives, their victims or victim's families suffering is prolonged. How can they ever get over the fact that this person who robbed them of a life is being kept alive at their expense?

Am I the only person against the death penalty? I didn't think it was an uncommon opinion!

No your not - I'm completely against it.

If nothing else then the sheer factor of human error dictates that you are never going to get it 100% right all the time, so that means sooner or later you are bound to end up convicting and killing someone who is perfectly innocent...

...which of course means that the minute that happens you (as the person who decided to kill them) become a murderer yourself, and by your own rule should be killed.

Personally I think killing them is allowing them an easy way out - if it wasn't why do you get so many committing suicide?

Originally posted by LBoogie
I think the dealth penalty is disgusting. To kill someone for killing other people is just insane! It makes the state a killer, the governor a killer, the executioner a killer...I just don't see the point.
It doesn't make a difference if they are alive? Surely being in a prison for the rest of your life is more punishment than just ceasing to exist and being put out of your misery.
sometimes i like the eye for an eye approach, aslong as it is eye for eye and not death for a slap or something. dont know how id feel if someone real close was murdered. i know there is a family behind each person, but.....
maybe eye for eye is instant reaction, but in the long run, we would want them to suffer longer.
dont prisons have playstations, football teams, gym and college courses? thats hardly suffering.
wasnt there a guy who got "done" for fraud and put away for 6months. he came out toned, fit and healthy as hes ever been!

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Ghandi (I believe?)

Originally posted by craigb
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Ghandi (I believe?)
maybe if we just poke em in eye so it really hurts. seriously though, i suppose if they dead its over and done with too quick

Originally posted by craigb
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Ghandi (I believe?)

Why would the whole world be blind if it is an eye for an eye? Surely if you don't take an eye, you won't lose an eye? Then the only people left will be the good people who don't take eyes... :confused:

Just a thought...

quoting ghandi don't make it gospel.

I can quote Bernard Manning & Elvis.

To get back onto the thread.

Saw most of a prog on telly last week about Arnie how he arrived in USA with $20 as an unknown immigrant.

Ya got to hand it to the guy :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
To get back onto the thread.

Saw most of a prog on telly last week about Arnie how he arrived in USA with $20 as an unknown immigrant.

Ya got to hand it to the guy :thumbsup:
good job he didnt come to uk, certain people on here would not be happy - damn immigrants!!(please note sarcastic tone)

That quote isn't meant literally - it means if we all think along the lines of "an eye for an eye" then we all become as bad as each other.

Isn't it (sadly) the British way though to deny a person's prosperity?

Originally posted by craigb
That quote isn't meant literally - it means if we all think along the lines of "an eye for an eye" then we all become as bad as each other.

At the risk of bickering like a pantomime dame...

Oh No It Doesn't!


:thumbsup: go on, mate!

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
Isn't it (sadly) the British way though to deny a person's prosperity?
then consider me european!

Originally posted by craigb
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Ghandi (I believe?)

Won't that just leave everyone with one eye, unless you do two bad things then you risk losing both ?

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
then consider me european!

Ok from here on in you shall be officially known as

NatalieBruss (els) :D

Originally posted by nick2
Won't that just leave everyone with one eye, unless you do two bad things then you risk losing both ?
Aye

i know of someone (not a friend) who assaulted a young girl. he was proscuted for it and went to youth offenders and ordered to stay outta a certain area of sheffield til he was 18 (was 15 at time). He got a probation officer or whatever when he got out. the kid has been heard saying hes glad he did it, his rehab inc trips all around and interg in sports etc.... it disgusts me

Just to clarify, I never said or suggested that the current system works - IMHO sentances are far too short for most things and it seems to be that prison just doesn't seem to have the scare-factor that it possibly once did.

What I am saying however is that killing them is not the answer for main reasons...

1) The moral issue - if you do that you are no less a murderer than the criminal.

2) The lost innocent factor - as I said before it is an unfortunate fact that these things are never 100% accurate and it is a FACT that if you started using the death penalty you WILL at some point kill a wrongly convicted, perfectly innocent person for no reason.

It's opinion I suppose though, and everyone is allowed their own... this is just mine.

If only everyone where as perfect a citizen as me (sighs).

Originally posted by LBoogie
Am I the only person against the death penalty? I didn't think it was an uncommon opinion!

No I oppose it in all and any cases.

For the retributionists amongst us, there are more imaginative and unpleasant ways to punish people.

For me capital punishment is the lazy option. If it is such a good deterrent, why not have it as the penalty for everything, and eliminate all crime with the stroke of an axe (or something)? Well because it isn't a deterrent at all, and we would end up executing tens of thousands of people.

Additionally, 'beyond reasonable doubt' is not grounds enough to kill someone. Because capital punishment is "the ultimate sanction" and is (for now) irreversible, a greater degree of certainty is required.

On a personal moral level, I instinctively abhor the idea also.

As for Arnie, I can't comment on his being Guv in California, apart from to say I was shocked to hear he was elected and wondering who, if anyone, is bankrolling him.

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
To get back onto the thread.

Saw most of a prog on telly last week about Arnie how he arrived in USA with $20 as an unknown immigrant.

Ya got to hand it to the guy :thumbsup:

I agree, Don_Kiddick, he also couldn't speak english when he first arrived. IMHO, you really have to hand it to the guy!

I'm not a big fan of the death penalty myself, but I do sadly feel it's a necessary evil. Of course, executing the wrong person is everyone's biggest fear. Even after someone is executed, teams of attorneys go over everything, and they have yet to find one single case in California where they made a mistake. And us taxpayers get to pay for ALL of this.

Donald Beardslee had 24 more years of life than his victims did. And had they stopped the guy cold in his tracks after the first woman he killed, these other two, one of whom was a mother, would still be alive.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/ci_2530482

And this man:

http://www.polkonline.com/stories/010102/sta_rapist.shtml

makes my skin crawl! I remember when this happened. At the time, I was not much older than Mary Vincent, his victim.

Whom he beat, raped, and finally chopped off her forearms with an axe. Abandoning her to die in Del Puerto canyon. A desolate, lonely place. She was found and brought to the hospital by passers by. Otherwise, she surely would have bled to death. Dear God.

He finally received the death penalty in Florida after murdering yet ANOTHER woman, but died of cancer while awaiting execution.

What do we do with these people? Where do we draw the line? Lock them up forever? Try and 'rehabilitate' them? Will it work? Can we ever trust them again? Would you want them living next door to you? In your community? Personally, I'd have to say NO.

There has to be some personal accountability/responsibility. Someone else said, Beardslee should have thought of this before he killed those women, and I rather agree.

In both of these cases, the murderers showed a profound lack of remorse. Neither of them was sorry for their crimes.
They weren't even smart enough to pretend to be sorry!

I'm enjoying everyone's opinions on this, but I'm at a loss. What do we do?!

:) Sierra

Originally posted by Phanerothyme


For the retributionists amongst us, there are more imaginative and unpleasant ways to punish people.



I agree Phan. My thinking would be to allow the victim's families to decide their punishment. Heh. This will never happen, though. They say all criminals must be treated humanely. Hmmm.

:) Sierra

Originally posted by craigb

1) The moral issue - if you do that you are no less a murderer than the criminal.


So you think if the state executes a murderer then the state is as bad as the murderer. Does it follow then that if the state locks a kidnapper up in prison then the state is as bad as the kidnapper... as you are doing the same thing to the kidnapper as he did to his victim?

Many murderers suffer from mental illness or are defective in someway. I don't think killing someone is the answer at all. Maybe its the easist way out , and the easiest thing for a justice system to do..but that shouldn't be why we do things.

I feel sorry for the criminally insane ( for example schizophrenics who have murdered people whilst have an attack). I know most people don't share my opinion on this, but I just think that we have a lot to learn about why people kill, what makes them do it and the psychological profile of murderers.

I think killing people makes the justice system no better than the murderers. It's just a step back in time. We live in a modern society, we have the science and skills to try and find out what makes murderers different.

Killing a murderer just ends their suffering. Why do you think Harold Shipman killed himself? Ian Huntley has also tried to kill himself before. They need a way out! Murderers don't stay in the type of prison where there's college courses and social events. They are usually in solitary confinement for most of the day, and held in extrememly high security.

It isn't a nice life for them at all.

On another subject -
I also feel an amount of compasion for paedophiles. There is obviously something in their minds that makes them the way they are..Something inate, or perhaps a learned response to something that happened to them in their lives. There are so many paedophiles now that it can't be just a type of deviancy.
I don't condone any paedophiles for acting on their urges. I find that disgusting and wrong, but I don't think they should be condemned for having their urges. It seriously needs looking into and studying, and we need to find out more about it.
Paedophiles have always been around...despite the fact that the Daily Mail seems to suggest they've just been invented or something ( lol)

But on the subject in hand...how could anybody live with themselves if they later found that someone that they had put to death was innocent. It's happened many many times..something like the dealth penalty which is extremely fallable and irreversable shouldn't be in place.

Originally posted by LBoogie

Murderers don't stay in the type of prison where there's college courses and social events. They are usually in solitary confinement for most of the day, and held in extrememly high security.

It isn't a nice life for them at all.



I had a collegue in a previous job who, as part of her RMN conversion, visited that den of iniquity that Ms Allitt (child killer) is residing at. She had access to all mod cons.
Including O.U courses, TV in the rooms etc etc.
To qoute my collegue
"she's got a better lifestyle than my Mum's got..."

But on the subject in hand...how could anybody live with themselves if they later found that someone that they had put to death was innocent. It's happened many many times..

how many times andwhere ? And could you post a link to the figures please?
You have my interest - ta :thumbsup:

American Cases ( there are lots of sites) -

http://www.tcadp.org/factsAndFigures.htm

http://www.justicedenied.org/executed.htm

http://capitaldefenseweekly.com/25casesdraft.html

This gives some figures about executions in America - http://www.bized.ac.uk/current/mind/2004_5/081104.htm

"In the United States, 38 of the 50 states still retain and use the death penalty as a form of punishment for serious crimes. In November 2004 alone, there are 6 planned executions in Texas, and one each in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. There have been 53 executions so far in 2004, with 65 in 2003. The vast majority of these have been through lethal injection."

In Britain -

This site discusses why the death penalty was abolished in the UK, including some serious miscarriages of justice where the wrong person was hanged.

http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/abolish.html

The last site actually seems to want the dealth penalty back, but it has some good facts.

Oh and for anyone that wants to help to try and stop the death penalty -

http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-actnow-eng


Also, this may be of interest..

Information about Child Exections (which take place in the USA aswell as other countries)

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGACT500152004

Cheers LB:thumbsup: !
I may as well state first that my opinion hasn't altered after seeing those sites.

The American ones, I feel set off well with good objective stat's but manipulated them to present a subjective defence for their cause. (IMO- that is).

The British site was better.

I have to say that many miscarriages of justice occured years ago, when people often (alegedly) 'clumsily fell over' many times whilst in custody until they remembered what it was they'd done wrong; maybe to close cases... I agree.
These days evidence is much more scientific with DNA testing, cctv, & 'all sorts'.
Where evidence is irrifutable why can't the death sentence be reinstated?
I myself feel it is time that the case 'for' is reviewed again.

We will always disagree on this one my friend.
But it's been good d/w you! Thanks

DK

I don't think the death sentance can ever be brought back in the UK ( which is a very good thing, you may disagree lol)..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/law/answers/deathpenalty.shtml

"In 1999 the home secretary signed the sixth protocol of the European Convention of Human Rights which formally abolished the death penalty in the UK and ensured it could not be brought back."

I'd like to quote father Jack Hacket here, but the MODS would remove it for sure.

We all know what I'm thinking though... aren't we :heyhey:

Cheers LB

Originally posted by Sierra
I agree Phan. My thinking would be to allow the victim's families to decide their punishment. Heh. This will never happen, though. They say all criminals must be treated humanely. Hmmm.

:) Sierra

Well that depends on whether you ever institute an Islamic justice system, where they do get a say.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Well that depends on whether you ever institute an Islamic justice system, where they do get a say.

Right now, the victim's family and friends get to speak to the accused at some point during the trial. Before or after the sentencing phase? I'm not sure.

As you can imagine, it gets pretty emotional, but I feel it gives these grieving people some closure, and a chance to express themselves to the person who deprived them of their loved one.

And 31 states, including California prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders.

I do find it interesting, that in almost every case, the condemned person fights so hard to save their own life. Yet most of them showed little or no respect for their victim's lives.

This murder:

http://www.traceybiletnikoff.org/

personally hit home. I grew up just a few doors away, and went to school with Angela Biletnikoff. The stepmother of Tracey Biletnikoff, the young woman murdered by her boyfriend.

I can tell you that my old friend Angie is not the same. Nor are Tracey's siblings. Tracey's father was so broken hearted, he could not bring himself to attend the sentencing of his daughter's killer.

The only consolation being that the murderer will not be eligible for parole until he is an old, old man. He won't be able to hurt anyone else.

I've enjoyed everyone's opinions on this, but I don't think anyone has changed their mind.

Peace.

:) Sierra