Death row inmates concerned about delay
By Suzanne Risley
Tribune-Star
Death row inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute, on Friday were left wondering what would happen next after Attorney General John Ashcroft delayed Timothy McVeigh's execution until June 11.
Paralegal Dave Sprout spoke with inmate David Paul Hammer on Friday afternoon during a scheduled phone call, shortly after Ashcroft made his announcement. Sprout works for Hammer's attorney, Ron Travis, in Pennsylvania.
"I think he finds it intriguing and interesting that they came up with all that information this late and close to the execution. Where was this before?" Sprout said about Hammer's initial reaction to the news that the FBI discovered thousands of documents related to the Oklahoma City bombing this week.
McVeigh, originally scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, was sentenced to death in 1997 for the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people, including 19 children.
Hammer also joked a bit about all the media personnel already set up on prison grounds, wondering how they are handling the sudden and unexpected news, Sprout said.
"They were on lockdown so Mr. Hammer didn't have a chance to really speak to anyone," Sprout said. As of Friday afternoon, Hammer had not yet spoken to McVeigh, either.
Lockdown means that inmates can't be outside their cells, Sprout said. Hammer didn't know the reason for the lockdown, how long it would last or if it was institution-wide, Sprout said.
A statement released by the U.S. Penitentiary late Friday afternoon stated, "Heightened security will remain in effect in and around the institution and staff will continue to maintain a high state of readiness." It did not mention whether the prison was on lockdown status.
Spokesman Jim Cross did not return phone calls on Friday asking for confirmation.
Hammer said the general atmosphere of the death row unit was one of uncertainty and wanting to know what will come next, according to Sprout.
"He really didn't say anything too much specifically, other than he is watching the news like everyone else. He's just amazed that all this has happened," Sprout said, adding that Hammer wonders how this latest news will affect the execution of Juan Raul Garza.
Garza is scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 19 -- eight days after McVeigh's new date -- for drug-related murders in Texas. How can the government pull off two executions within that time frame when they haven't even done one yet? Hammer asked.
A friend and spiritual advisor to Hammer, however, is grateful for the delay.
"I know that's very upsetting for many people to have this delayed, but it should never be easy or efficient to kill a human being," said Sister Camille D'Arienzo, of the Sisters of Mercy in Brooklyn, N.Y. "My heart is with all the people inside and outside the prison whose emotions are rollercoasting because of this.
"As of now, to the best of our knowledge, Tim McVeigh has not expressed any remorse. Every additional day is a gift of time from God, giving him a chance to express remorse and lessen the sorrow and anger of the people he's hurt," she said.
A delay may prolong what inmates think is inevitable, but it really is necessary to thoroughly investigate these discovered papers, Sprout said.
"You have to do it correctly. This is out there; the government can't be the one saying there's nothing there. That's why this information should have been turned over in discovery so his attorneys can go through it," he said.
And, the government may have just proved one of "McVeigh's argument about the government, that it's hard to find a fair trial," Sprout said.
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