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U.S. | I'm a Death Row Pastor. They're Just Ordinary Folks

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In the early 1970s I was a North Carolinian, white boy from the South attending Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and working in East Harlem as part of a program. In my senior year, I visited men at the Bronx House of Detention. I had never been in a prison or jail, but people in East Harlem were dealing with these places and the police all the time. This experience truly turned my life around.

USA | Delaware Lawmaker Proposes Death Penalty for Cop Killers

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After the swift verdict for the murderer of Delmar Police Corporal Keith Heacook, there is renewed debate on capital punishment in the first state. Some are now suggesting a reconsideration of the death penalty for specific crimes.

State Representative Tim Dukes, a Republican who represents Delmar says he knew Corporal Heacook. In honor of the fallen officer, Dukes is considering the introduction of legislation that would impose the death penalty for those convicted of murdering law enforcement or public safety personnel, like paramedics. However, he acknowledges that getting such a bill passed would be a challenging endeavor.

Delaware hasn't had the death penalty since 2016, when it was deemed unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court.

Representative Dukes emphasized that for particularly heinous crimes, such as Randon Wilkerson's assault on Corporal Heacook, the death penalty would be the fitting retribution. He stated, "Corporal Heacook didn't die in vain, and we continue to address this issue, hoping to bring it to the house floor for legislators to make that decision."

Dukes plans to reintroduce death penalty legislation in those cases when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

Dukes said, "I think people just want to know that we won't forget. We'll remember Corporal Heacook and his service to the community and that he didn't die in vein."

WBOC reached out to Governor Carney's office to inquire about his stance on reintroducing the death penalty for such cases, but we received no response.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings stressed that Randon Wilkerson will never be released from prison. "He will spend the rest of his natural life in prison," she declared.

It's important to mention that should Representative Dukes' proposed legislation be approved, it likely won't have a retroactive effect. This means that it would apply only to cases that occur after its enactment. As of now, Wilkerson's sentencing has been scheduled for December 8th.

Source: WBOC news, Staff, October 18, 2023

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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: Delaware, USA
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