Photo by Brooke Thorington
A bill to expand methods to carry out the death penalty and to provide protections for those involved, like drug companies that provide the ingredients used for lethal injection, passed in Senate Judiciary C Monday. Committee members heard from those in favor, like Howard Vincent, whose brother, Steven Vincent a state trooper was killed in the line of duty in 2015.
“In this state, we have a death sentence, and we need to make sure we have whatever’s needed in accordance with the law to put them to death,” said Vincent.
Speaking against House Bill 6 was Brett Malone, whose mother, Mary Ann Shaver Malone was killed in Bossier Parish in December of 2000. He told lawmakers killing the man who killed his mother won’t help anyone and he asked just how far they will go to carry out executions.
“Will you be adding crucifixion as a method of execution? Will you be adding lynching or the guillotine or drawing and quartering or maybe feeding people to the lions,” Malone questioned.
Vincent said there’s no reasonable doubt about his brother’s killer, he said Kevin Daigle confessed and there’s both video and DNA evidence. Vincent said it’s difficult to listen to those who are against the death penalty and opposed to expanding methods of execution like the electric chair and Nitrogen Hypoxia.
“Oh, they gasp for air under anesthesia because they were given a drug. My little brother was laying on the hot asphalt with his face half blown off, brain matter coming out of his head,” said Vincent.
Terry Landry Junior with the Southern Poverty Law Center spoke in opposition to adding the use of nitrogen as a means of execution. He said several veterinarian associations are against the use of nitrogen because it is cruel and harmful to animals.
“And would not use it to put animals to sleep, but here we are today and we’re willing to do that to human beings,” said Landry.
HB6, which received full passage in the House last week was amended in Senate Judiciary C to take effect July 1, 2024.
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