Texas executes man convicted of killing teenage girl

[morningfog]

(Reuters) - Texas on Thursday executed a suspected serial killer convicted of stabbing a teenage girl to death, a day after a federal appeals court rejected his challenge over the drugs to be used in his lethal injection.

Tommy Lynn Sells, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. CDT after receiving a lethal dose of drugs at a state prison in Huntsville, Texas, the state's Department of Criminal Justice said. He made no final statement.

Sells was the 15th person executed in the United States this year and the fifth in Texas, the state that executes more people than any other in the nation, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Attorneys for Sells had challenged the state's lack of disclosure about the supplier of the drugs to be used to kill him, winning a temporary stay from a federal judge in Houston that was overturned hours later by a federal appeals panel.

The appeals court said the case might be different if the state were using a drug never before used or unheard of, whose effectiveness was completely unknown, which was not the case.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-execution-texas-sells-20140403,0,6995231.story

Who will be the last person to be executed by the government in the US?

[badtoworse]

1. Not much sympathy for this one.

Raping and killing a 13 year old over drug money?

[morningfog]

3. It has never been about sympathy for me. It is about the state killing.

The death penalty is wrong and will be ended one day.

[Live and Learn]

28. +1 It makes us no better than anyone else that kills. nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

44. No sympathy for this one either...and I still oppose capital punishment.

The system gets it wrong sometimes. For me, that fact alone means I can't support the death penalty. With any other penalty, a mistake can be redressed. Perhaps not in entirety (hard to compensate fully for decades in prison, for example), but some form of compensation for unearned punishment can happen. With capital punishment, there's no possible way to do this...no "do over" button.

[840high]

8. ...^ that

[Gman]

10. He was lowlife

[Jgarrick]

11. +1

[Live and Learn]

29. Agreed. I don't see how people don't get that fact. nt

[davidn3600]

2. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" -Gandhi

[Mrdrboi]

18. I dont think he en visioned Someone Brutality Murdering a Child.

What a savage brutal murder of a child. The guy deserved it.

[Recursion]

20. I'm pretty sure he saw brutal murders of children a lot

Between South Africa and colonized India, that wasn't exactly some undiscovered country to him...

[Live and Learn]

30. Oh sure, that never occurred in Gandhi's day.

[morningfog]

77. Are you suggesting Gandhi would support the death penalty?

[mokawanis]

5. They murdered a murderer

Barbaric.

[Jgarrick]

6. They lawfully executed a murderer.

Justice.

[morningfog]

9. It is only lawful because the executioner say it is.

Last edited Thu Apr 3, 2014, 11:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Different place, different time would change that.

[Deep13]

14. executioners. nt

[morningfog]

15. Thank you.

[Lizzie Poppet]

42. It's lawful because WE said it is.

Because democracy.

Being lawful doesn't mean it's right, though...

[Donald Ian Rankin]

84. No, that's obviously untrue.

It's lawful because the democratically elected government says it is.

There are strong arguments against the death penalty. Calling it murder is not one of them.

[morningfog]

92. Whether you describe it as a strong or weak argument, it is only

legal because the government says so. The broader international community says it is illegal. In time, we will recognize that it is illegal.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

97. I think you're wrong about what "illegal" means.

It doesn't mean "bad", it means "against the law of the land". So in most places in the first world, capital punishment is illegal, but in America it isn't; changing that is about making it illegal, not about recognising that it is.

[morningfog]

100. When it changes it will be because the courts recognize

that our constitution prohibits it. It is already illegal, it just hasn't been recognized as such. It will be, but not soon enough.

[Jgarrick]

101. How can something explicitly allowed in the Constitution be unconstitutional?

Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[morningfog]

104. Easily. It will be found to be cruel and unusual.

It is becoming increasingly unusual.

When two laws are in conflict, even in the Constitution, the Court will determine which stands and which falls. The Clause you cite does not require the death penalty, but describes the only instances where life could be taken. It does not grant a right to the government that cannot be taken away.

Alternatively, capital does not need be defined as the death penalty, and deprivation of life need not be either. It could be understood as "life sentence."

Your question is not a problem with the Court's declaring the death penalty unconstitutional. Not at all. And, the Supreme Court will declare it unconstitutional. It is only a question of when.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. The death cert will say homicide

I find that ironic.

[Inkfreak]

34. Will it really?

I'm just curious. I never thought about how they list cause of death. I'm against the dp, btw.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. Yes. It will

And I am against it too

[treestar]

36. Homicide is a neutral concept

An executioner does a homicide. But it is legal, state sanctioned.

A person who kills in self defense still commits a homicide. But is is legal, being justified.

A person who accidentally kills commits a homicide. It warrants a lesser penalty for being negligent.

A murder is also a homicide, punished because it it done with malice (legal malice).

[riqster]

53. Interesting post. Thanks.

[Logical]

39. LOL, enjoy your short stay! nt

[The Magistrate]

46. Why Should That Lead To Expulsion, Sir: A Murderer Was Lawfully Executed

That is certainly my view of the matter, and I have been here a long time.

There is no question of the man's guilt; the crime was a heinous one; I have no objection to the state killing him for having done what he did, and no respect at all for the quibble over how the lethal compound is sourced.

[Logical]

62. So you are proud of the countries like us who execute people? How.....

Progressive of you!

[The Magistrate]

64. I Do Not Object To Killing a Murderer, Sir

Where there is genuine question regarding guilt, or whether there was competent counsel at trial, I will object to a death sentence being carried out before such questions are resolved, since their resolution could over-turn the guilty verdict.

I have no respect whatever for the 'the state just murdered a murderer' line. It is the law of a state which defines what killing is lawful and what killing is not: there is not and never has been any state which does not reserve the right to kill, for maintenance of it peace or its own existence. The chief distinguishing characteristic of whether a state exists is its ability to enforce a claim to be the sole entity which can legitimately employ violence, or determine if violence was legitimately done.

[Logical]

66. You ignored my question. List the countries who have manned executing people. Then list....

the countries who still embrace it. Which countries do you like better.

Not counting that no doubt mistakes have been made.

In about 50-100 years no country will execute people. Like no country's draw and quarter people anymore.

Sad you are so far behind.

And your legals bullshit matters not. Want to support all the legal shit that has happened in the past? The 1800s? I imagine so.

You like revenge, just admit it and stop trying to justify it.

[The Magistrate]

68. It Does Not Interest Me, Sir, And Bears No Relation To My Comment

Revenge is the root of much law regarding injury, whether the settlement of the account is in money or in blood. I fail to see why the commonplace observation a punishment for doing harm to another human being willfully and unlawfully is really revenge goes any distance to discrediting said punishment for doing harm willfully and unlawfully to another human being. Putting a man in a cell for the rest of his life, or for a term of years, is every bit as much revenge as any other punishment for the crime of doing harm willfully and unlawfully to another human being. That it may be more to your personal taste as a means of punishment does not alter that it partakes of, and is rooted in, vengeance, just as much any other form of punishment, including ones you find distasteful.

[Logical]

69. You like to write apparently. Ignoring anything someone asks you. Post another long reply that ....

I will not even read.

[The Magistrate]

70. Now That, Sir, Was Amusing

"There you were, curled up into a little ball, just waiting to strike!"

[Logical]

75. Here you go, list of countries with your values......

[The Magistrate]

78. If It Is Graphics You Want, Sir...

[mokawanis]

94. There are people in prison for murder who did not commit the crime

Innocent people who have spent years or decades in prison for crimes they did not commit, the victims of prosecutorial and police misconduct, false confessions and misleading or botched forensic evidence.

I don't trust the state to get it right.

[Art_from_Ark]

98. Like this recent case in Japan

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/world/asia/freed-after-decades-on-death-row-man-indicts-justice-in-japan.html

[oldhippie]

79. It works for me, also ....

"I have no objection to the state killing him for having done what he did, and no respect at all for the quibble over how the lethal compound is sourced."

I'm also all for putting guys like this down. In fact, my major objection is how much time and money the state wastes in the process. A single .45 cal to that back of the head would suffice. I even sometimes think, in really atrocious crimes, the state could auction off the privilege of pulling the trigger and recover some costs.

Some people here will consider that to be not progressive. Damn, I'll fail the purity test again.

[CFLDem]

7. Darn... They should've gotten some work out of him first.

[Deep13]

13. There, now no one will ever be murdered in Texas again! nt

[Jgarrick]

16. Not by him, anyway...

[morningfog]

17. A map of every execution in the US since 1977:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/03/28/see-where-every-execution-has-taken-place-since-1977-in-one-map/

[U4ikLefty]

22. interesting map, thanks

[linuxman]

19. Zero fucks given.

Don't want to be executed? Don't fucking stab children to death.

As far as where the drugs come from, I don't see the relevance. I know where they are going...

"Here's a rope. I bought it from Home Depot. Happy?"

[Luminous Animal]

24. Indeed. You are happy to murder because someone else did.

They murdered so why shouldn't I?

[linuxman]

32. LOL.

Look up that word. That's like saying "My aunt was recently murdered by cancer", or "My friend was murdered in a car accident". You can't just redefine words. I see this line of thought brought up time to time in these threads. Always sounded like picket line outside an abortion clinic to me. "Something I don't like! MURDER!".

[jmowreader]

105. This guy didn't just stab a child to death

He admitted to having murdered seventy people and helped the cops close a lot of murder cases.

Hangin's too good for this guy, but they don't let us perform Penkovski-style executions so it's what we have.

[Jenoch]

21. I am mostly against the death penalty,

especially when the conviction is done with circumstantial and eyewitness testimony, however I am not bothered by the results in this case.

[Luminous Animal]

25. And thus, you are a murderer when it is sanctioned by the state.

I'm not okay when a murderer murders but I'm okay when I do.

[Jenoch]

27. Huh?

I write a comment on an internet message board and that makes me a murderer?

What color is the sky in which you live?

[Dr. Strange]

65. Don't listen to them.

That person is a kidnapper and a thief.

[Live and Learn]

31. See, people just don't or can't accept that

the DP means we (at least those in the state that does it) are guilty of killing themselves. I guess that means that killing for a reason they deem acceptable is okay.

One problem with that definition is that "reason deemed acceptable" keeps changing and is simply a manner of justifying one's own crimes.

Another is that, you are not only harming the individual you justified killing but all of his/her loved ones that will now suffer just like the (supposedly, since we know innocent people are convicted) killer's, victim's families suffered. You have created more suffering, not less.

Add to that the DP is not applied fairly and therefore adds greatly to the unjustness of our already unjust system.

And finally, convicted people are sometimes found innocent later and one cannot make restitution to a dead person.

The DP is barbaric and I am ashamed that it is still perpetuated and allowed in our nation.

[Logical]

40. LOL, so if we are really really really sure they did it then kill them! nt

[Jenoch]

58. As I wrote in my first post,

it depends on the circumstances.

[Logical]

61. Not a deep thinker I assume! nt

[Jenoch]

63. What's the matter with you?

There are murders that occur on video. If I see a video of a father drowning his child, I would not lose sleep over his execution. The same goes if somebody kills a cop and the killer is identified by the dashcam video.

I am opposed to the death penalty in most cases.

[Logical]

67. Like I said, so we are super duper sure? Jury's don't work that way. Read about the jury system. nt

[Jenoch]

87. I was not referring to any jury.

[Logical]

88. You know that is how people are sentenced to death, correct? nt

[Jenoch]

89. I do know that, yes.

[oldhippie]

73. Because a deep thinker would never disagree with you?

Is that the criteria?

[PeteSelman]

26. Good riddance.

I'm in favor of capital punishment. This guy was one of the worst people ever. He is the poster boy for the death penalty.

[Live and Learn]

33. One of the worst?

Really? I would reserve that those that killed multitudes of people (young and old), some of whom are still walking freely.

How many did this guy kill? How many are you responsible for killing with your enthusiastic support for killing?

Add it up and we have even more culpability than him for allowing the DP. That it is applied unjustly should be without debate. That killing for revenge is morally wrong should also be.

[PeteSelman]

59. He admitted to 70 murders.

He killed a 13 year old girl because she woke up while he was raping her as revenge for her dad owning him drug money and cut the throat of a 10 year old.

Yeah, one of the worst.

Sorry, but you can't guilt me into not supporting this asshole's execution because they've gotten it wrong in other cases. They didn't get it wrong here.

I have high standards before capital punishment can be inflicted. He met those standards.

[get the red out]

60. I just don't get

Why guys like this seem to matter more to some people than the innocent victims they killed! I'm not speaking for or against the death penalty, I ride the fence on that one, but guys like this piss me off, and his family can just suck it up and realize that he killed innocent people, a 10 year old baby, and there are consequences. I do not mourn for his fucking family, but I am very torn up over what the victim's families have had to endure because of this guy.

Some of this just seems callous.

I also don't like it when the media just about demands that the victims' families forgive murderers.

[Logical]

41. List the other countries who execute people! Like them also?

[oldhippie]

71. Why? It matters not.

Who cares what other countries execute people? I don't do guilt by association.

[Logical]

72. LOL, funny how we like Canada, the UK, France except on this topic! nt

[oldhippie]

74. We do?

[Logical]

76. Maybe you don't, free health care and all. LOL, are you on the right forum? Here is something....

you can have someone explain to you!

[oldhippie]

80. So, to post on this forum I have to like the countries you like .....

.. and not the countries you don't? Is there an approved list?

Damn purity tests, anyway.

[Logical]

81. Wow, so you embrace those countries listed? LOL, once again, you in right place? nt

[oldhippie]

82. And you make stuff up, too?

LOL, Logical, indeed.

[Logical]

83. What did I make up? You say those countries are incorrect? nt

[oldhippie]

85. I said nothing about those countries ...

Try again.

[Logical]

86. How about you stop whining! Feelings hurt? nt

[oldhippie]

91. Feelings hurt? Hell no .....

... I feel great. I just returned from a local community art show and have three new pieces from local artists for my collection.

What was it you were upset about, again?

[Logical]

95. I don't remember! :-)

[Inkfreak]

35. I'd rather see this man never leave a jail cell.

Dead men/women feel nothing.

[Dorian Gray]

37. I hate

that we, as a civilized society, have the death penalty.

But I am going to use this moment to reflect on his victim and the tragic loss of her life.

[nomorenomore08]

106. Best post of the thread.

[MO_Moderate]

43. Good, he chose to die

How he dies is of no concern.

[Blue_Tires]

45. Did the Tejas legal system at least make sure

the person committed the crimes they were executing him for??

They haven't had the best record in recent years on that issue...

[B2G]

48. He confessed.

I remember this case. Slit the throat of the 10 year old in the house at the time as well.

Good ridance to this vermin.

"Sells was convicted of stabbing a 13-year-old girl to death and attempting to kill a 10-year-old girl on New Year's Eve of 1999 at the Del Rio home of a man who owed him drug money, according to court documents.

Sells went to the house to sexually assault the girl as pay-back for the drug debt. He broke in, found her sleeping on a bunk bed and began assaulting her. When she awoke, he stabbed her multiple times and slashed her throat, killing her, court documents showed.

Sells then slit the throat of a 10-year-old girl who was sleeping in the top bunk. After he fled, that girl walked to a nearby neighbor's house to get help, court documents showed.

According to various media reports, Sells confessed to as many as 70 murders, starting when he was 16 years old."

[Iggo]

47. And I'm STILL against the death penalty.

[Hip_Flask]

49. Buh bye....

... and good riddance...

[B2G]

50. If anyone on the planet needed killing,

it's this guy.

A link to his many 'exploits':

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/tommy_sells/index.html

[rdking647]

51. im aginst the dp in most cases

except when the person is guilty beyond all doubt.
in this case the guy WAS guilty beyond all doubt.
i have no problem with him being executed.

and for those that claim im a murderer since i live in the state that executed him... doesnt bother me one bit what you choose to call me.
your as wrong as those who claim abortion is murder.

[get the red out]

52. Considering what I read about Texas prisons the other day

He just got the easy way out.

[dilby]

54. I am not a fan of the state having the ability to execute.

However execution is better than chaining men up and keeping them in cages, that is what people did to slaves. I would rather die than be treated like a slave.

[aikoaiko]

56. Someday the DP will be banned, but for now I'm glad this MF is dead.

Heinous crime + certainty of agency + no mitigating circumstance = death penalty.

[Throd]

57. Boo fucking hoo.

[Aerows]

90. No sympathy from me

He was linked to 17 other killings besides murdering the teenager.

The terror they faced was far more than the terror this animal faced.

[morningfog]

93. Again, I don't see it as a question of sympathy.

I also see no need or value in making anyone face terror. Regardless of what a person has done, I don't get the retribution/revenge aspect. Especially when the revenge is killing.

[Aerows]

96. When you rape and execute 17+ people

I'll try to find some sorrow for people wanting to execute you. And execute you as humanely as possible. Unlike their victims, that died in sorrow, screaming in pain, and in horror.

[morningfog]

99. It's not about sorrow for the killer.

[Jgarrick]

102. +1

[99Forever]

103. I have no sympathy for this vermin...

... but completely oppose government sanctioned killing of all types.

For this, I make no apology.