Inmate seeks clemency from execution

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By Mitsue Hirota (544)

In Summary: Richard Cooey is a convict because of the crime which is the killing of two University of Akron students in 1986, and he asked the state to lighten the punishment lately. These things were written in the lawsuit which was presented in this month: Cooey’s height is 5 feet 7 and weight is 267 pounds, so the executioners would be in trouble. The reason is that his veins and weight would reduce the effects of the lethal injection drugs; as a result, there is possibility that he cannot die totally. His lawyers said that Cooey’s original defense team didn’t present that the influence of abuse when he was a child, and the effect of his alcoholic. Dana Cole who represented Cooey at the parole board hearing said, Cooney who is a murder, and the other Cooney who is suffering from remorse is a different person. If he is killed, it means we killed the person who is not a murder. Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh reexamined graphic details of the rape and murder of the two students, and he also reviewed the event Cooey tried to escape in 2005. Then, Walsh said that since these reasons, Cooey never show us the integrity, remorse, and penitence. On Tuesday, Government Stricktland will decide whether he wants to follow his own rule or the rules which has recommended by parole board.

My Opinion: I never forgive Cooney, and I completely disagree this lawsuit. If it is going to be difficult to execute him because of his fat, all the executioners have to do is just increase the volume of the lethal injection drugs. I cannot believe he is asserting such things at this time of the day. Moreover, he committed such a cruel crime, but he has never demonstrated the integrity or remorse. Even though this crime was because of his beating experience when he was a child or his alcoholic, I think he will commit a crime again because it’s really hard for most of people to change themselves completely. We must minimize the bad things we can imagine that it will happen in the future; otherwise, it means we didn’t learn anything from this incident. In addition, I could never forgive him if I were the victim’s parents or were on familiar terms with. I cannot let he live; otherwise, it’s not fair. I hope the victim’s family can satisfy with the result which is going to be.