MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Darrell Mease is not a Roman Catholic, but he owes his life to the appeal from the holy father of the Roman Catholic Church.
Gov. Mel Carnahan said it was because of the Pontiff's face-to-face request that he decided to commute Mease's death sentence to life in prison.
"He made this decision based on getting a personal request from the Pope," said Chris Sifford, the spokesman of the governor. "The governor's opinion about the death penalty has not changed. He still support capital punishment in some cases. And this is the appropriate sense in some cases," added Sifford.
Sifford said Carnahan made his decision late Wednesday night after a private meeting with the Pope that the Pontiff had requested to discuss the Mease case.
Sifford described Mease as a "fortunate" man. "It just happened to be his turn in terms of the schedule in the Court process. So he is very lucky," said Sifford, trying to make the novelty of the situation more understandable.
Sifford conceded Carnahan's decision poses a potential political issue for next year's U.S. Senate race.
"There is a considerable amount of political risk for the governor," Sifford said.
Mease was convicted of murdering a drug partner and two other people in southwest Missouri in 1988.
Carnahan's decision received mixed reaction from Catholic members of Missouri's legislature -- many of whom describe themselves as death-penalty supporters.
"I don't think the constitution envisions the governor simply ignoring the wishes of the jury and all the appeals court judges that have looked at the case," said Senate GOP Leader Steve Ehlmann, R-St. Charles.
The House Majority leader, also a Catholic and death-penalty supporter, was more reserved in his comments.
"Spending two days with the Pope, I think, has had an effect on the governor," said House Majority Leader Wayne Crump, D-Potosi.
"I am a supporter of the death penalty, and it would really upset me (if) the Pope would call every time and prevent someone from being executed. But I don't think this is the case."
A few Catholic lawmakers expressed near shock at the governor's action and declined to express a firm opinion.
Lou DeFoe, the chief lobbyist for the Missouri Catholic Conference, expressed hope the governor's action might open the door to reexamine the death penalty issue. "It is providing our community a window of reflection," DeFoe said.
"When we, as an official state, kill someone we are teaching the darkness of violence rather the light of peace and the respect of human life."