Johnson
I do not think I would execute Stanley Tookie Williams. The reason why I do not think I would sentence him to death is that his case is very similar to the Charles Manson massacres.
Charles Manson, who had others kill for his occult, "was sentenced to death, but this was automatically commuted to life in prison after Californian's Supreme Court invalidated all death sentences prior to 1972."
The evidence was so strongly against him that he could have easily been sentenced to death which was also the case for Manson what makes Williams so different. I would sentence him to life in prison with no chance of parole. Stanley grew up in a less than ideal neighborhood where there was a lot of violence and substance abuse.
I feel that the influences he has experienced at a younger age have had a major impact on how he grew up. The influences from his surroundings and the "prey or predator" and "eat or be eaten" mentality that was instilled in him made him the way that he was. However, I am not saying that what he did could be excused just because of the way that he grew up. He is still at fault for his actions and should be held accountable.
Wright
The life of Williams is an amazing testimony showing what God can do in a person's life. It is amazing that someone can grow up in the household and environment that he did and change in to a completely opposite person. I was glad to learn that he used his new life and attitude to help better others. It is especially great to know that he was helping young teenagers to not make the same mistake that he did by running the streets and getting involved in gangs.
I that it is sad that he had to dieby the death penalty, but it is something that had to be done. His record was bad enough with the murders and other bad things that he did that he deserved what he got. I agreewith performing the deathpenaltyif a personis guilty and there is no doubt that theyare guilty.
There has been questioning that some inmates on death row are innocent and even some that received the death penalty were actually innocent. Since 1973, 160 people have been exonerated and freed from death row. (2017).
The death penalty does cost way too much to carry out. In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. (Dallas Morning News, March 8, 1992).