|
|
| Gulf Veteran Executed for Killing Soldier |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 03/20/2003 |
|
A decorated Gulf War veteran who claimed his exposure to Iraqi nerve gas caused him to rape and kill a female soldier was executed by injection Tuesday at a federal prison. Louis Jones Jr., 53, died by injection at the U.S. Penitentiary near Terre Haute, Ind. after President Bush and the U.S. Supreme Court refused his two final requests that they intervene. Jones was the third person - after Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and drug kingpin Juan Garza - put to death by the federal government since it resumed executions in 2001 after a 38-year suspension. Jones, who had no prior criminal record, admitted kidnapping 19-year-old Pvt. Tracie Joy McBride from a Texas Air Force base, raping her and beating her to death with a tire iron. His attorneys said exposure to the gas caused severe brain damage that led him to kill. 'Today was a day of justice for Tracie,' Irene McBride, the victim's mother, said after she witnessed the execution. 'Today Louis Jones finally was made accountable for his actions, and today he will meet his ultimate judge.' 'Everybody is glad this is over. It's been a long eight years,' she said. 'The healing is not over; it's just beginning.' In Jones' final moments, he looked toward the room where the witnesses he had selected were watching and mouthed the words, 'I love you.' He did not look toward the room where McBride's family watched. Asked by prison officials whether he had a last statement, Jones said: 'Although the Lord hath chastised me forth, he hath not given me over unto death.' He then began singing a hymn with the refrain, 'In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever 'til my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.' Jones was declared dead at 7:08 a.m. As the execution time neared, about a dozen death penalty opponents held a candlelight vigil near the prison. No death penalty supporters were present. A sign leaning against a fence in front of the group said, 'The tragic irony: As we rush recklessly to war with Iraq we are killing a veteran of the first Gulf War.' The White House and the high court refused Monday to block the execution after reviewing Jones' nerve gas claims. White House officials declined to explain Bush's decision, and the court did not comment. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
If you’re looking for a lawyer in Waco, you’ll need to know that the first to hire Dunnam & Dunnam usually wins. If you have a personal injury claim, an insurance claim, or other matter involving a court or business transaction you should contact the Best Waco Lawyer to explain your legal rights. You can contact them on the website link above.
v