The Death Penalty In Richard Ramirez's The Night Stalker

Richard Ramirez, “The Night Stalker”, by age 53 had killed and raped at least 13 women and men between June 1984 to August 985 . Most of his victims were over the age of 60. He would break into homes kill the men for that prevented him from committing such crime then when it was done flee from the scene after robbing the home. He reportedly shouted “Hail Satan” in his court hearing. With a grand total 13 murders, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries Ramirez was executed on June 7, 2013. Because of vicious crimes like these the death penalty exists. (“10 Crimes”)

Without this type of punishment prisons that committed heinous crimes would get the chance to live and breathe the air there victims suffered in. In the United States 40 states participated

The earliest form of this punishment is hanging. The victim would be size measured from the neck and height and that would determine how long their nuse needed to be. This form of punishment is still used in the state of Delaware and Washington. The Gas Chamber is still allowed in in five states. The victims sentenced to the gas chamber will be sat in a chair and strapped in. Sulfuric Acid is brought up from the floor while the prisoner is strapped in the chair, slowly the victim turns purple and intense pain and struggle sink in. After a while the gas stop the heart and the victim is deceased. Electrocution is not the sole type of punishment in any of the states, in fact it was ruled unconstitutional in February of 2008. The victim is usually shaved and strapped to the electrocution chair with belts across his chest. He has a cap put on his head then he is blindfolded. The smell of burning will filter the air and the eyeballs on the unfortunate lad will pop out. He could possibly defecate, urinate, vomit blood, drool, or in worst possible case catch on fire. One of the five types is the firing squad. This form of punishment was used on the most recent death row case. The firing squad punishment is simple. The victim is bond to a chair, sandbags are placed to surround the victim and any blood he may leak, a bag is placed over his eyes and the countdown begins. Many members

(“Death Penalty”) Death row isn’t just sentenced to what the jury think are serious crimes, it is all about the aggravating factors. You have to be tried with 16 aggravating circumstances to be sentenced to death row. The criminals murder must be especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel or depraved, or the victim was killed while lying in wait. The criminal committed by the means of a bomb,destructive device, or an explosive. The offense must have been committed during the commission of, attempt of, or escape from a specified felony, may also be committed from a motor vehicle or near one that transported the defendant. Discharging a firearm into an inhabited dwelling would be an aggravating factor. If the victim was under the age of twelve the death row sense is most likely disrupted. (“Descriptions”)

The death penalty is a fair criminal punishment but too many people it is not lawful or right. The United States spends on average 39 million dollars a year on prisoners. One reason for this is the cost of the punishment. In Indiana the average capital case resulting in the death penalty is over $449,987 while the average cost for life without parole is $42,658. This is resulting in a 38 percent greater total cost of life without parole. Age is a tremendous factor in determining the death penalty, if the person is under 18 the death penalty is forbidden in all states. (“Death