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Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

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Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

Utah prosecutors to pursue death penalty against California man accused of killing LGBTQ activist

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah prosecutors will pursue the death penalty against a California man accused of shooting and killing a motorist last year.

Jonathan Llana, 46, is accused of fatally shooting Dennis Gwyther and injuring his passenger in May 2019 as the two were driving in northern Utah, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Monday.

Llana was arrested in Idaho after a two-day manhunt. 

He was charged with a count of aggravated murder, one charge of attempted aggravated murder and six counts of felony discharge of a firearm.

Llana’s case was delayed after he was declared not competent to stand trial in October 2019. 

But in March, he was found to be competent after receiving treatment at the Utah State Hospital.

Gwyther, 50, was a well-known LGBTQ activist in Utah. He was commuting to his job in Boise, Idaho when he was killed.

The last time a person was sentenced to death in Utah was in 2008. 

Floyd Maestas was given the sentence after stomping a woman to death during a robbery but died of natural causes in 2018.

Llana’s attorney Craig Chlarson declined to comment.

Source: The Associated Press, Staff, July 28, 2020


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Utah, USA
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