Army Schedules First Execution Since 1961

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 03:07:32 PM EST
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The U.S. Army has scheduled its first execution since 1961.

Ronald A. Gray has been scheduled to die by lethal injection at the Federal death camp at Terre Haute on December 12.

Only the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, can approve the execution of a death sentence [Article 71(a), Uniform Code of Military Justice]. On July 28, 2008, the President approved the death sentence in the case of the United States v Ronald A. Gray. The President took action following completion of a full appellate process, which upheld the conviction and sentence to death. Two petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court were denied during the appellate processing of Pvt. Gray's case.

President Bush approved the death order. Gray was sentenced to death by a court-martial panel in 1988 for "two murders, an attempted murder, and three rapes."

Gray was 22 at the time of his sentencing. According to the 1999 U.S. military appeals court opinion here, there were psychiatric and organic brain damage issues, as well as a host of other issues, all decided adversely to Gray.

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Army Schedules First Execution Since 1961 | 20 comments (20 topical)

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Given his history in here in Texas, Jeralyn, (none / 0) (#1)
by easilydistracted on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 03:35:44 PM EST

I'll bet he didn't hesitate one damned bit before signing the death warrant. That's a harsh allegation, I know. Yet undoubtedly a true one.

We actually have a... (none / 0) (#2)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 03:45:46 PM EST

..."Federal Death Camp"? That is truly sickening.

I have to wonder what will happen to Lance Hering at the hands of the military. Do we still execute deserters?

For the record he's convicted of 8 rapes, (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 03:52:35 PM EST

4 murders, and 1 attempted murder:

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Monday approved the execution of an Army soldier who terrorized Fayetteville, N.C., for months in the late 1980s and was eventually convicted of raping and killing four women, and raping and attempting to kill another.
Bush signed off on the death penalty for Ronald A. Gray, who grew up in the Liberty City area of Miami and was stationed at Fort Bragg at the time of the crimes.
Eventually, he was convicted in connection with eight rapes and four murders that took place in in the area.

Red herring (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by NYShooter on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:09:52 PM EST

For pro-death penalty folks, the numbers of murders is immaterial, as it is for the anti-death penalty people.

The least we should do is ascertain whether the trial was truly fair, or pre-ordained.


According to Wiki link, Gray (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by oculus on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:12:07 PM EST

was also convicted of multiple violent crimes in state court. If anyone should be sentenced to death, Gray is an appropriate candidate.


Just a point of information, (none / 0) (#5)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:11:40 PM EST

do with it what you will.


: I didn't mean you (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by NYShooter on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:39:56 PM EST

( red herring) I was referring to the stats.
Of course your additional facts are useful to understand this case.
You know the old joke:
He: "Would you go to bed with me for a million dollars?
She: "Absolutely!"
He: "How about for ten bucks?"
She: "Absolutely Not! What do you think I am?"
He: "We've already established that, I'm just trying to negotiate a price."
Do the number of murders determine whether the death penalty should be imposed?......maybe.

Actually there is a diffrence to me. (none / 0) (#16)
by hairspray on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 07:25:14 PM EST

Someone who shoots a person in the heat of an argument or in circumstances of dire stress and are not seen to be likely to kill again are different than serial killers or those who first rape and then kill women/ girls repeatedly. Same with those who brutalize little children and then kill them. Very horrible. Maybe that is why I am not completely against the death penalty. I just think it has been used against poor people with no resources for a good defense. The innocence project is an eye opener about malpractice from prosecutors.


Come on..... (none / 0) (#17)
by NYShooter on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 07:59:52 PM EST

Be fair.

My argument is: 5 pre-meditated murders= death penalty; 1 pre- meditaded murder = ?

Where did I include raping, brutalizing little children?


Maybe I misunderstood your (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by hairspray on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 09:05:30 PM EST

comment

For pro-death penalty folks, the numbers of murders is immaterial, as it is for the anti-death penalty people

I guess you were saying the pro death penalty people just want capital punishment no matter what the number or circumstances. I am not much pro but I can't stay never to brutal crimes with solid evidence.


Yup, but (none / 0) (#20)
by NYShooter on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 09:49:08 PM EST

the question is always, who decides what "solid" is?

Solid in Texas ain't solid in NY; and that's the problem.


: I see your point. Here in CA (none / 0) (#21)
by hairspray on Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 12:40:40 AM EST

Scott Peterson was given the death penalty for murdering his pregnant wife. They eventually found the body but I don't believe there was any physical evidence to tie him to the murder. Some jury members were nearly hysterical after the conviction, sounding like avengers, screaming "murderer" after him. Even though I felt he was guilty I wouldn't have voted for the death penalty with a politically charged case like that one. There simply wasn't enough evidence for the death penalty.

The fact that this poor man has (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:34:22 PM EST

obvious evidence of organic brain injury and is even considered lays wide open a wound I harbor concerning the military and the mentally impaired. We have soldiers coming back from combat who have had squeaky clean records before combat being booted out for being disorderly and the fact that they probably have something organic going on doesn't seem to be able to be factored into how they as soldiers conduct themselves. This chasm in blantantly refusing to understand and accept that the military is made up of human beings was further demonstrated to me last week when a soldier that I have a three year history of knowing personally shot himself. He had been having a lot of difficulties this past year and was finally hospitalized and diagnosed bipolar. Anybody who knew him though had already entertained that possibility and you didn't even need a degree to notice some of the obvious. Before being diagnosed though he had just recently done a whole bunch of work related unruly things. Then he was diagnosed and now he has attempted to take his own life and failed but his command can't seem to view his recent past work behavior in the same light as his suicide attempt. They can all feel okay about what he did to himself because he was mentally ill but what he did to the Army cannot be condoned and he must be reprimanded for it. If he disobeys orders of any kind outside of offing himself and then garnering public scrutiny that has to be insubordination, it can't be because he is mentally ill. He is a soldier first before being a human being with a mental illness and he knows the rules and he chose to break them :(

A sad story. (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by oculus on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:36:49 PM EST

: I have not contacted his family (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:43:46 PM EST

since returning home from San Antonio. He did it while we were gone. We have so much going on ourselves emotionally challenging, the two families have nothing extra to offer each other right now. He has a wife and two sons. After he was diagnosed his wife was still wanting a divorce though, she said that she loved him as a person but he has always displayed symptoms somewhat and after 13 yrs of marriage she was really fatigued. We were not taking anyone's side in the ordeal, just did what we could to be supportive and I'm finding the military very far from supportive of someone who had given almost 20 years of his life to them.

Tragic MT. (none / 0) (#9)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:39:13 PM EST

Is the soldier on bipolar meds? They're usually very effective.


He was (none / 0) (#12)
by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:46:43 PM EST

but he was having a hard time from what his spouse told me before we left of keeping to a daily schedule. Of course he came back hot for smoking pot but for the past year he has been one Manic dude. Who knows when he last slept so I figured he had been trying to self medicate and it seemed he was taking his prescriptions in much the same way. He seemed to be waiting for behavior to show up that didn't fit and then he would take meds. He had just started treatment.


: I think that is a very common pattern. (none / 0) (#19)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 09:23:48 PM EST

The disorder is often easily controlled by meds, but the disorder effectively prevents the person from thinking they need to take the meds.
My mother has been down that path dozens of times since the early 80's...

He was (none / 0) (#13)
by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 04:46:43 PM EST

wouldn't it be cheaper just to send him to iraq, (none / 0) (#15)
by cpinva on Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 06:14:51 PM EST

and let him loose there? away from our guys, of course, where he might do some actual damage.

shouldn't be too long before he's gone.