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Tag: William Rousan

  • Missouri Execution: Fourth Inmate Executed in 2014

    Death row inmate William Rousan was executed on Wednesday; the execution is the fourth for Missouri in 2014. Rousan was sentenced to death after being found guilty of murdering a couple in 1993.

    After being denied clemency by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon on Tuesday evening, 57-year-old William Rousan was put to death by lethal injection just after midnight on Wednesday. Rousan was injected with the drugs at 12:01 a.m. and pronounced dead just nine minutes later at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.

    Rousan, his brother Robert Rousan, and his 16-year-old son Brent Rousan were found guilty in the 1993 slaying that took the lives of Charlie and Grace Lewis. The Rousans shot the couple to death in a plot to steal two cows, a VCR, and some other small items. William Rousan was arrested almost a year after the murders and was the only Rousan to be sentenced to death. Robert Rousan was sentenced to seven years in prison and Brent Rousan is serving life without parole.

    “My trials and transgressions have been many,” Rousan said, starting his last words. “But thanks be to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, I have a new home in his heavenly kingdom.”

    Rousan’s execution was Missouri’s fourth execution in 2014. The state has executed six inmates total over the past six months.

    Of the states that still carry out capital punishment, Missouri has the fifth most executions. Missouri has carried out a total of 74 executions since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. Seven inmates have been executed in Missouri since 2010, with six of those executions occurring over the past six months.

    Missouri’s increase in executions has certainly drawn criticism from some. Michael Lewis, who is the son of the victims, spoke about Rousan being put to death and said that he draws no satisfaction from the execution.

    “I draw no real satisfaction from Mr. Rousan’s incarceration or execution, for neither can replace or restore the moments lost with my parents or give my sons back the grandparents they never got to know,” Lewis said. “Nor can it fully heal the broken hearts and lives of our family, or his family who my heart also goes out to.”

    Lewis also spoke briefly about his view on capital punishment and says that he thinks it takes too long to carry out the sentence. “As for the death penalty, I think the delay from sentencing to finalization is too long. I have never thought of it as revenge or justice served in terms of an ‘eye for eye,’ so to speak,” Lewis said. “Nor do I see it as a big deterrent to would be criminals. But I still believe it is a humane and permanent prevention of further criminal activities by the convicted inmate.”

    Watch Lewis’s statement after the execution below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Missouri Execution: William Rousan Is Dead

    William Rousan, 57, was executed in Missouri on Wednesday. Rousan is the main man responsible for orchestrating the 1993 murder of a couple who owned some cows that he wanted to steal.

    Rousan was the mastermind behind the murders that were carried out by his brother and his son, Brent. His son ambushed the Lewis home and shot Charles Lewis first, next he shot Charles’ wife Grace. Rousan was sentenced to death without the possibility of parole.

    According to Attorney General Chris Koster, Rousan ordered his then 16-year-old son to murder Grace Lewis “all so they could steal two cows, soda, a VCR, and some jewelry.”

    It was not until a year later that Rousan was caught when people noticed that the Lewis couple suddenly disappeared without a trace. In 1994, the investigators were able to get two tips that helped crack the case.

    Rousan’s attorneys argued against the lethal injection, as they said that the drugs used may result in suffering while the inmate is being put to death. However, the US Supreme Court denied the request to stay Rousan’s execution. Advocates of those on death row say that the convicts have a right to know about the drug that will be injected into their bodies. They are also opposed to the drugs used to carry out the executions as they claim they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

    Rousan’s last meal consisted of onion rings, a bacon cheeseburger, a soft drink, and pecan pie.

    A minister and Rousan’s brother-in-law were invited to see him before the execution. He mouthed some words to his visitors. The drug was administered, Rousan took two deep breaths, and all was still. There was no sign that Rousan was in distress. At 12:10 am, Rousan was declared dead, just 9 minutes after the entire procedure started.

    In a final statement written by Rousan, he said “My trials and transgressions have been many.”

    Michael Lewis, the son of the murdered couple, said in a prepared statement after the execution that he gained “no real satisfaction from Mr. Rousan’s incarceration or execution,” as neither would bring his parents back.

    Michael Lewis reads a statement on behalf of his parents who Rousan murdered

    Image via YouTube