Ronnie Lee Gardner's family outside the Utah State Prison

I arrived on the hill overlooking the Utah State Prison just in time to see a gorgeous Utah sunset. My view was disrupted by what seemed to be a tailgate, complete with a cooler, smiling faces, and white balloons. Instead, it was a gathering of relatives and friends of Ronnie Lee Gardner to commemorate and support his life during his final minutes. Just past the gathering, sitting on the edge of the hill and gazing at the prison was Gardner’s half-sister Bonnie Knight. She hadn’t seen her brother for 25years, but woke up at dawn to make the drive from Grand Junction, Colorado to support Ronnie Lee.

“They let us get comfortable with him being here  . . . and we didn’t think this day would come,” responded Bonnie to the extensive 25+ year legal process Ronnie Lee endured.  Although Bonnie hasn’t seen her brother for many years, she corresponded though written letters, and spoke fondly of their time as young adults.

Besides commenting on the brutal legal-works and cruelty of keeping a man on death row for more then 25 years, Bonnie also discussed the good Ronnie Lee has done over the latter half of his time spent in prison. She highlighted the plans to continue work on the organic farm Ronnie Lee planned after his execution. With the speed of today’s technology, Bonnie often first discovered news about her half-brother online. She usually found rude and hateful comments following Ronnie Lee stories. Bonnie took to posting replies to some of the comments, but one news organization, The Salt Lake Tribune, barred her from online comments and discussion. Both sides of the story were apparently not shared on such on this site.

In her own life Bonnie has created hope from Ronnie Lee’s condition, and taken to helping individuals recently released from prison. Her organization Freedom House Ministries in Grand Junction, CO uses Christian ideals to help bridge the gap between incarceration and freedom, allowing the released to form a new and law abiding life, minimizing reoffender rates. Bonnie has kept in a positive mind-state about the execution saying, God will forgive him, “I’m praying on it”.

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.