How would you feel if you were sentenced to die for a murder you had not committed? This is exactly what happened to Ray Krone. In 1992, Ray was sentenced to death in Arizona for the murder of Kim Ancona. She was found dead in the bar where she worked, half naked, with signs of sexual assault on her body.
To some, it may seem that Krone deserved to die for such a brutal murder. However, it transpired that Ray himself was also an innocent victim in this case. Ten years after being sentenced to death, Ray was cleared of all charges and released from death row. he American criminal justice system really isn’t as ‘just’ as its name suggests.
There are a few key aspects of the case which are worth noting. Krone was tried for the murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of Kim Ancona; he was found guilty of the murder, but cleared of the other charges. The authorities never tried to find the perpetrator of the kidnapping and sexual assault.
Ray Krone’s story, whilst shocking and heart-breaking, is not uncommon. Since 1973 there have been 142 exonerations across America. That is 142 people who were sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. 142 people who were simply ‘lucky’ enough to get an appeal and good lawyers. Since 1976 the USA has executed 1,367 people, and of that number it is impossible to tell how many were actually innocent.
There are at least ten well-known cases where the evidence of innocence post-execution is very strong (the case of Cameron Todd Willingham for example). Miscarriages of justice occur all over the world and we don’t always hear about them. Racism, police misconduct, falsified testimony, bad lawyers and many more pitfalls can all lead to miscarriages of justice, and are unfortunately commonplace in certain states. Racism, for example, is rife in Southern states and you will nearly always have an all-white jury where the defendant is black. You may be interested to know that to sit on the jury of a trial where capital punishment is a possible outcome you must be in favour of the death penalty. They call this being ‘death qualified’. I wish I was joking, but this is unfortunately a sickening truth.
While the problem of innocence is heralded by many as the reason why they cannot support capital punishment, it is not my main reason for opposing the death penalty so vehemently. Of course I too believe that the issues arising from miscarriages of justice are enough of a reason in themselves as to why capital punishment should be abolished altogether. There is a whole host of other reasons too: the fact that it’s more expensive than a life sentence and the fact that it’s been proven to not act as any kind of deterrent are two key ones. But for me it is mainly a question of morality; I believe that as human beings this is an issue which dictates where our moral compass lies, both individually but, more importantly, for society as a whole.
The fact that capital punishment exists in this day and age shows that there is something repulsive and inherently wrong with human nature. We live in a society where murder is considered wrong. There are very few people who would disagree with this. If applying this logic, this means that all murder is wrong. If this is the case then government-funded murder is also fundamentally, and to its core, wrong. If we argue that murder is the ultimate crime how can we administer the same punishment in response? In this sense we are simply lessening the severity of murder by making it acceptable ‘in certain circumstances’, and, if we condemn murder as immoral in a civilised society then all murder is immoral, without exception. State-sponsored murder is no better or more justified than any other.
On Wednesday, Ray Krone will be giving a talk at Leeds University Union. His talk will not only highlight a corrupt system that instates a death penalty, but will bring to light all the other issues of this injustice. After witnessing his previous lectures, I can say that I have never been so moved by a speaker. He is so emotive and bold in his delivery, that he will make you want to run to the US embassy and demand the immediate abolition of the death penalty. Krone is also an ex-military man, a group which is held in great esteem in American society.
If it happened to Ray Krone, it could happen to anyone. Details for the event are below, and if you wish to learn more about what happened to Ray and the work he’s now engaged in, the event on Wednesday will be incredibly valuable. After the talk there will be a question and answer session
If you’d like to attend the talk, you must sign up for your ticket here: http://www.leedsuniversityunion.org.uk/events/19286/8167/
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Molly Lipson