FL - Arthur Rutherford executed for '85 murder of Stella Salamon

STARKE, Fla. (AP) -- Convicted killer Arthur Rutherford was executed Wednesday by lethal injection for the 1985 murder of a Milton woman.

Rutherford, a 57-year-old Vietnam veteran and handyman, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m., the governor's office said.

He was executed after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his challenges over the state's lethal injection procedure and other issues.

He was condemned for the Aug. 22, 1985, attack on 63-year-old Stella Salamon, a widow whose naked body was found submerged in the bathtub of her Panhandle home.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_RUTHERFORD_EXECUTION_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

:banghead: Sure firing up those needles, with the election on it's way.

GlitchWizard said:

:banghead: Sure firing up those needles, with the election on it's way.

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What election would that be? Florida has term limits. Governor Bush cannot run or be re-elected.

Garnan said:

What election would that be? Florida has term limits. Governor Bush cannot run or be re-elected.

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He's all about that Charlie Crist guy taking his place. Charlie Crist is the guy the guys on DR are all worried about coming in and cranking up the execution rate more than Texas, even. My daughter wants to make a bumpersticker that says "Christ against Crist" because the guy says on his website that "all life has value" yet he doesn't put anything behind it.

I'm just grouchy from the execution last night, you can ignore me if you want to.

If I'm not being personal, do you correspond with and visit a death row inmate, or someone who is/was a white collar criminal?

You said you were penpals and had known about Rutherford's family. Can Florida inmates on death row have personal contact with their families? By that I mean face to face and not through a glass wall or cage.

I disagree with you about due process. Twenty one years is a long time and I'm sure a lot of appelate work had been done, yet all appeals were denied.

OT, how's Tallahassee these days? Haven't been back since I went to FSU. GO "NOLES" !!!

BarnGoddess said:

If I'm not being personal, do you correspond with and visit a death row inmate, or someone who is/was a white collar criminal?

You said you were penpals and had known about Rutherford's family. Can Florida inmates on death row have personal contact with their families? By that I mean face to face and not through a glass wall or cage.

I disagree with you about due process. Twenty one years is a long time and I'm sure a lot of appelate work had been done, yet all appeals were denied.

OT, how's Tallahassee these days? Haven't been back since I went to FSU. GO "NOLES" !!!

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I'm a gator.

Tallahassee is BEAUTIFUL - at least the weather is. I'll be heading to Daytona this weekend for camping though. (Jumping up and down with excitement...)

When I go to see my pen pal, we are in a room with about 22 tables. Each table has 5 seats that are as comfortable as sitting on a rock. You are allowed one hug/kiss when you get there and one hug/kiss when you leave, but not during the visit. You can be there from 9am until 3pm. When I go, families are there - infants, children, old people, wives and pen pals. It's the most respectful, sweet family time - undivided attention, deep conversations - and it's really good for the families of their loved ones. Remember, some of these men are innocent, or if not innocent, aren't the "trigger man".

I wasn't pen pals with Rutherford, I've just seen him.

Because I don't wish to debate the death penalty today, I'll PM you the answers about my pen pals.