Some points we've missed as we've thoroughly wandered to and fro......

1. Paul Hill honestly believed that he was instructed by God to do the deed.

2. When he shot the two men, one didn't quite die, so Paul pumped 5 more shots into him till it was clear the man was stone dead.

3. He honestly believed that he was going to a better place and seemed genuinely pleased to be going to see his home in Glory.

4. He was by his own admission not repentent. He encouraged other persons to follow in his example.

All of the above adds fuel for thought to this so-difficult moral conundrum.

A comment: I heard a leader once referring to capital punishment as "cancelling their vote." Interesting euphemism.....

And tangentially:
I had the distinct non-privilege of being in Tallahassee during Ted Bundy's murders, watching the press scurry as it was awakened early in the morning to go to the Chi Omega house to see the crime scenc which contained the bodies of the chewed up coeds, seeing police photos of the bite marks, and seeing him in the police cars nearly every morning on his way to court.

I traveled to work on the same roads from the same part of town (my house was near the jail) to the destination (his, the courthouse - mine, my place of work) and more than once we made eye contact as our cars passed one another. I can even now as I type feel the awful 'vibe' he exuded as he made eye contact with me. It was nasty, dirty, evil. Call me over-reacting or call me accurate. Not sure, but it was truly creepy and it certainly qualified as the "evil eye" to me.

I didn't have any trouble at all with the state cancelling his vote. Other persons I am not so certain about though... it's a tough call.

Martha