""People are much less likely to commit murder if they know that they'll be forfeiting their life in doing so.""

Every analysis of crime rates ever undertaken proves that to be absolutely untrue.

""God himself provides mercy for murderers in that they cannot be executed unless there are two or three witnesses. Even if all the evidence points to a person being the murderer, we can't execute them until we have witnesses. That's what the Bible says.""

You really should try telling that story to Reginald Christy, whose crimes were unwitnessed, but I'm afraid you can't.

You see they hanged him.

They also hanged poor Timothy Evans for the self same crimes, in spite of having no more evidence than an extorted confession.

Don T.