Christa Pike … a bizarre story
In 1995 (31 years ago) a young woman named Christa Pike was convicted of murder of a close friend the previous year. The act was so violent and brutal that Christa kept a fragment of the victim’s shattered skull as a souvenir.
Over the ensuing three decades, the “legal system” wound its way through appeals, rulings, stays of execution and finally an execution that actually, almost, took place.
Two executions were attempted. Both failed, since the mission was to end Pike’s life. Two executions on the same day, unsuccessful. It appears Pike was damaged in those efforts, but is still alive.
I am not a proponent of capital punishment, because convictions are wrong often enough to prevent the complete certainty of taking the actual perpetrator off the planet.
But this display has managed to result in inconceivable torture for DECADES. The victim’s loved ones and friends and schoolmates had to continually live through hearings and repetition of their unimaginable loss. Then long waits for the next scheduled execution date, then another stay of execution and starting back at the beginning. Over and over.
And then, after three decades of this - the execution was botched.
I am forced to ask myself exactly who profited from this grim and still endless saga. The only answer I find is “lawyers, and politicians.” The same people who fashion our laws. The same people who look really really bad. Incompetent. Ridiculous. Clownish.
While most ineptitude does not reach global media, it occurs every day in one way or another, while taxpayers’ money funds the salaries of countless people who are lousy at their jobs.
Over the ensuing three decades, the “legal system” wound its way through appeals, rulings, stays of execution and finally an execution that actually, almost, took place.
Two executions were attempted. Both failed, since the mission was to end Pike’s life. Two executions on the same day, unsuccessful. It appears Pike was damaged in those efforts, but is still alive.
I am not a proponent of capital punishment, because convictions are wrong often enough to prevent the complete certainty of taking the actual perpetrator off the planet.
But this display has managed to result in inconceivable torture for DECADES. The victim’s loved ones and friends and schoolmates had to continually live through hearings and repetition of their unimaginable loss. Then long waits for the next scheduled execution date, then another stay of execution and starting back at the beginning. Over and over.
And then, after three decades of this - the execution was botched.
I am forced to ask myself exactly who profited from this grim and still endless saga. The only answer I find is “lawyers, and politicians.” The same people who fashion our laws. The same people who look really really bad. Incompetent. Ridiculous. Clownish.
While most ineptitude does not reach global media, it occurs every day in one way or another, while taxpayers’ money funds the salaries of countless people who are lousy at their jobs.
