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Rip in Heaven

In: English and Literature

Submitted By akhan13
Words 700
Pages 3
Antoine Richardson

April 4th 1991, two innocent lives were lost because four men. Julie who was 19 and Robin who was 20 at the time were raped and murdered by four men, Marlin Gray, Reginald Clemons, Antonio Richardson, and Daniel Winfrey. These four men went to separate trial, so four different juries reviewed each case and decided a punishment. Richardson was originally sentenced to death, “Richardson had been scheduled to be executed at 12:01 A.M today for murdering Julie Kerry in 1991 in St. Louis” (Hampel). However at the last minute state offered Richardson a chance to plead guilty inexachage for a life sentence, Richardson had initially declined this offer, but his lawyer had told him it’d be best if he took it. I strongly believe Richardson received the right punishment, life in prison without parole. Life in prison without parole is when the jury choses not to impose the death penalty and feels it’s better to lock the prisoner up and throw away the key. This way it guarantees the criminal will not endanger the public, and the prospect of never being outside prison is a severe punishment.
One reason Richardson sentence is appropriate to me because, I personally believe the death penalty is not okay. In the state of Missouri the penalty is allowed. One of the four men, Marlin Gray gotten the death penalty and I strongly believe that was the wrong t thing to do. Some might disagree because Gray is the reason for why this crime was committed. It was all Grays’ idea to do this crime. He talked the other three into it and said, “I feel like hurting somebody.”( Cummins 46.) Gray was the oldest out of the four men and you would think he would be the wiser one, unfortunately he wasn’t. Richardson was originally suppose to get the death sentence, the whole world was watching. “His death sentence led to protest and condemnation around the world, The European

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