The punishment of death is sometimes thrown around just like any ordinary criminal case. There's no room to have doubt or even be the slightest amount of indecisiveness. "There is definitely no mechanism for review of guilt or innocence after someone has been killed."(Cremonesi) Justifying murder with murder is already morally wrong, but doesn't it just sicken you when the convicted person is proven to be innocent after they've already suffered the punishment? Imagine being the person on death row who's awaiting their untimely fate. You're putting forth such a valiant effort to prove your innocence but all witnesses and potential evidence points the finger at you. I'm pretty sure that this doesn't leave such a content feeling. According to the Innocence Project, there have been 17 people, who were originally convicted of a crime and sentenced to death, exonerated due to DNA evidence that proved their innocence. They all served a combined 209 years of prison time. People's lives haved been ruined and wasted away in prison because of a lack of effort in a trial, technology, and the lack of DNA evidence.
Pictured above is Charles Irvin Fain. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnapping, murder, and rape of a young girl in Nampa, Idaho. Fain maintained his innocence and was released in 2001 after serving 18 years in prison. It was discovered that the pubic hair found on the victim did not match the DNA of Fain.
How many other innocent men are rotting in prison awaiting their fate?
Larry Griffin was convicted of murdering Quinton Moss in 1980 in a drive-by-shooting. He maintained his innocence but luck was against him and he was executed by lethal injection in 1995. The case was re-opened and there's substantial evidence that may prove him not guilty of this crime. Whether or not this man was innocent doesn't matter anymore because he's already dead. There's no bringing him back. What if someone close to you suffered this same fate? How would you feel?
Executed But Possibly Innocent
DNA Test Proves that Justice Has Failed
Charles Irvin Fain
