Thousands of people have been emailing Florida Governor Crist about Martin Grossman for the past week. A response has just been emailed out by the Governor – just 30 minutes before the scheduled execution. YWN has received hundreds of emails from readers who have just received the response posted below:
Thank you for contacting me and sharing your concerns about the execution of Martin Grossman.
On December 13, 1984, Mr. Grossman violated the terms of his probation by leaving Pasco County and having a stolen firearm in his possession. In a routine stop, Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Margaret Park found the weapon. When she reached for the radio in her patrol car to report him, Mr. Grossman attacked her with her own large flashlight, beating her over the head and shoulders 20 to 30 times. When Officer Park tried to fight back, Mr. Grossman took her .357 Magnum revolver and shot her in the back of the head, killing her.
Mr. Grossman took several carefully planned steps to cover up this horrible crime. The weapon was buried, and Mr. Grossman attempted to burn his clothes and shoes, which were later disposed of in a nearby lake. The following day, Mr. Grossman thoroughly cleaned the van and changed its tires to mislead law enforcement.
Officer Park's autopsy revealed lacerations on top of her head, hemorrhaging inside the scalp and extensive fracturing of the skull. All of these injuries resulted from Mr. Grossman's attack. The facts of this crime clearly meet the definition of heinous, atrocious and cruel, and his actions afterward demonstrate his well-reasoned attempts to cover it up.
The courts have fully reviewed Mr. Grossman's legal claims, and his conviction and sentence have been affirmed by both the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Based on the facts and exhaustion of legal proceedings, and in accordance with Florida law, I signed his death warrant on January 12, 2010.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Governor Charlie Crist; Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com;
Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 5:12:12 PM
Subject: A Message from Governor Charlie Crist regarding Martin Grossman
Mr. Governor,
I have not up to this point taken an interest in the Grossman case, as
it is far from home and I did not feel it concerned me. However, after
reading the disgusting email you just sent out, I had to voice my
concern. My email isn't about Mr. Grossman. It's about a horrifying
lack of humanity just now displayed by a United States Governor.
Your unfeeling, even cruel, response to the pleas for mercy was
appalling. The irrelevancy of what you wrote is shocking. You write
about how Mr. Grossman burned his clothes and changed tires on his
car. This is a reason to kill a man?!!
You wrote: "Mr. Grossman took several carefully planned steps to cover
up this horrible crime." Is there a death penalty for trying to cover
up a crime?
A moment after he's dead, you will realize (if you have any conscience
at all) the weight of the responsibility you will bear for the rest of
your life. A shame you didn't realize it a moment before.
Respectfully yours,
Teddy Douglas
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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1 comment:
The death penalty in the UK has not been used since I grew up, but I've heard frequent calls for it to be reintroduced here.
And yet I know, first hand, of several people in the Irish community (for example) who were framed by the police (and our Secret Service) and who would have been judicially murdered had we had the death penalty here at that time. This was at the height of the IRA bombing campaign here.
There's no way I could ever support the death penalty - partly because of the ease with which police and courts can trap people and partly because my (non-religious) humanity prevents me ever doing so.
For what it's worth - thank you for trying to change things in your State and every power to your effort.
Ultimately you will succeed.
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