photo: thart2009
Days before Utah Convicted Murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner’s impending execution he claims to have reformed while in jail. Today, Gardner will continue his hearing before the Utah parole board in which he aims to have his sentence commuted to life in prison. The board will not be examining the legal process Gardner endured, or determining the morality of the death penalty. Instead the board will be looking at other circumstances including: what Gardner has done since incarcerated, his possibly traumatic childhood, former mental stability, and his plans to start a troubled youth farm. It seems quite interesting that Gardner’s life problems have all been resolved as his execution grows nearer. If Gardner’s mental illness was so severe it caused him to commit vicious murders, then how has it disappeared so easily? A psychosis developed to the point of multiple murders seems a little more serious then something that just goes away, never to return. Although Gardner stated during the hearing yesterday, ” This may sound a little odd, but I think I could walk out of here today and never get in trouble again”, he has not been shown to be a trusting and moral individual that we could believe, so yes it does sound odd (KSL). The board also commented that Gardner continued to be a problem while incarcerated, starting a riot, stabbing another prisoner, and trying to escape repeatedly. There seems to be little to nothing this man and his lawyers can do at this point. Perhaps if his legal team had made different defense choices during his trials he would not be at this point. Commutation failed.
