Salt Lake City, Utah, Jun 18, 2010 / 18:02 pm
Minutes after the clock struck midnight on Friday morning, a five man firing squad ended the life of Ronnie Lee Garner, a Utah man found guilty of murdering two men. The execution was lamented by Salt Lake City’s Bishop John Wester, who prayed for God’s love and mercy to heal all those affected by the situation.
In a Friday afternoon statement, Bishop Wester prayed that society can “move beyond the death penalty and thus affirm the dignity and sanctity of all human life.” Society, he said, “can fulfill its obligation to protect its citizens, punish wrongdoers and provide an opportunity for rehabilitation without resorting to the violence that plagues our world and continuing the cycle of bloodshed that diminishes all of us.”
The execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner caused shockwaves around the nation. Gardner, who was sentenced to death in 1985 after killing a man and then causing another murder in a courtroom escape attempt, was executed by firing squad at his own request. Though the death penalty is legal in Utah, the firing squad was prohibited in 2004. However, Gardner was sentenced before the change in policy, he was still allowed to select that manner of execution.
The bishop continued by offering condolences to the families of the victims. “We also express our sympathy to the family of Ronnie Lee Gardner as they mourn his loss and his tragic life. We pray for God’s love and mercy to heal them all and to help them find peace.”