An inmate in Alabama, US was executed on Thursday night despite pleas from several of his victim’s family members not to do so.
“Justice has been served. Joe James has been put to death for the heinous act he committed nearly three decades ago: the cold-blooded murder of an innocent young mother, Faith Hall,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said. according to CNN.
Joe James had been convicted of murdering his then 26-year-old ex-dating Faith Hall. The accused had harassed the young woman after their breakup and had already gone to her home threatening to kill her. He took action in 1994 when he followed her to a friend’s residence and shot her three times.
The victim’s daughter, Terrlyn Hall, however, said earlier this week that she was instead hoping for a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
“I’m sure if [ma mère] was there today, or if she was in that situation, she would want to forgive,” she told the WBMA network.
“We don’t think that [l’exécution] is necessary because it will not bring her back,” she added.
Faith Hall’s brother, Helvetius Hall, made a similar statement.
“He did a horrible thing,” he said. “He’s suffered enough and I don’t think taking his life is going to make our life any better.”
«[Jeudi] evening, a fair and legal sentence was carried out, and an unequivocal message was sent: Alabama stands in solidarity with the victims of domestic violence,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Recall that a jury sentenced James to death in 1996, but the state Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the decision due to the erroneous admission of hearsay evidence.
It was in a new trial that the killer’s legal team reached an agreement with prosecutors to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, a plan which was rejected by James himself.
‘James explained that he was pretty well off on death row – he had his own room, his own TV he could control to watch whatever he wanted, and lots of reading,’ is it possible to read in his file, according to the media.