Death Penalty News

The case against Robert Roberson, whose execution is scheduled for Oct. 16, is the latest to raise questions about a controversial diagnosis. Robert Roberson faces execution in Texas on Oct. 16 for the 2002 murder of his young daughter, Nikki Curtis. For years, a growing pool of supporters — from the lead detective in his case to Dr. Phil — have argued Roberson is innocent. They say doctors and prosecutors blamed him for Nikki’s death through a faulty diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.

Texas executed Ramiro Gonzales on Wednesday despite a stunning reversal from a psychiatrist who helped send him to death row 17 years ago.  Gonzales, 41, was killed by lethal injection as punishment for kidnapping, raping and murdering Bridget Townsend when they were both 18. At the time, Gonzales was struggling with drug addiction. He killed Townsend, his drug dealer’s girlfriend, while trying to steal drugs. He had turned 18 two months before the killing, making him barely old enough to be legally eligible to be sentenced to death.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In deciding whether the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter will face the death penalty, the jury must first decide if he is eligible for the ultimate punishment.  On Monday, the final witness in this phase of the trial testified he meets all the qualifications.  Forensic psychiatrist Park Deitz is a nationally known expert in criminal psychology who has analyzed defendants or consulted in high-profile cases like Jeffrey Dahmer and unabomber Ted Kaczynski.  Deitz told the jury the gunman doesn't have schizophrenia or epilepsy but a personality disorder resulting in social isolation. The gunman, he said, was a loner who lacked close friends and communicated hour after hour only with other white supremacists on the internet who stoked his antisemitic hatred and wild conspiracy theories about Jews.

A woman with severe mental illness who cycles in and out of Delta County Jail is often placed in solitary confinement by mental health workers after she’s seen eating feces or attacking other people at the facility. But when she’s isolated, her mental health worsens and she usually begins to harm herself, said Joel Watts, a therapist at the jail who sometimes decides if people with mental illness should be placed in isolation, for how long and when they should be released. “We have limited resources. If we don’t put them in isolation, they become a danger to themselves, to others and to staff,” he said. “But it’s a Catch-22. In putting them in isolation, we know they’re going to get worse.” These are difficult decisions, Watts said, because “the way to protect them is the way that harms them the most.”

The death row inmate is once again scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 15, making him the fourth person to be executed in Florida this year. WEST PALM BEACH — Duane Owen's, 62, temporary stay of execution has been "dissolved and terminated" by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The death row inmate is once again scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 15, making him the fourth person to be executed by the state. Nearly 40 years ago, Owen killed a 14-year-old Delray babysitter and a Boca Raton mom of two in separate attacks. Last week, DeSantis issued an executive order in response to a request made by Owen's attorneys for a psychological evaluation to determine if Owen's mental state could exempt him from lethal injection. The executive order came only one week after the governor signed off on Owen's execution, and stated that the governor claimed the allegations of Owen's mental health were not sufficient to claim insanity. But DeSantis green-lit th...

Pending results from a full psychological evaluation, Palm Beach County murdered Duane Owen might avoid his death penalty. The convicted murderer has tried to appeal before, but has not succeeded. WEST PALM BEACH — Duane Owen, 62, fatally stabbed a Delray Beach babysitter and battered a single Boca Raton mom to death nearly 40 years ago. As of yesterday, Owen may no longer face a death sentence, pending psychiatric evaluation. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Owen's death warrant on May 16. He would have been the fourth person to receive the death penalty in Florida this year.

It took into account the principles laid down in the Manoj v State of Madhya Pradesh judgement. The Supreme Court stayed the execution of the death sentence given to a man by an Allahabad High Court bench, till further orders and directed to constitute a suitable team for carrying out a psychological evaluation of the appellant man, convicted of killing his wife and children. The directive came on a plea filed on behalf of the convict, Deen Dayal Tiwari, challenging the order by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on May 9, awarding him the death penalty. A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala on December 7 ruled, "There shall be a stay of the execution of the sentence of death, pending further orders." The court directed that the head of King George's Medical University, Lucknow constitute a suitable team for the purpose of carrying out a psychological evaluation of the appellant. The report of the eva...