NC Death Row Inmate Writes About Life Of Leisure

[MJS]

http://news.yahoo.com/north-carolina-death-row-inmate-writes-letter-life-152637993--abc-news.html

A convicted murderer on death row in North Carolina wrote a taunting letter to his hometown newspaper about his life of "leisure" in prison and making a mockery of the legal system.Danny Robbie Hembree Jr. was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Heather Catterton in 2009 and was sentenced to death on Nov. 18, 2011.
Hembree, 50, is on death row at Central Prison in Raleigh, N.C., but he's not looking for any pity in the letter he sent to The Gaston Gazette.
"Is the public aware that I am a gentleman of leisure, watching color TV in the A.C., reading, taking naps at will, eating three well balanced hot meals a day," Hembree asked in the letter. "I'm housed in a building that connects to the new 55 million dollar hospital with round the clock free medical care 24/7."
He also asks if the public knows that the chances of his "lawful murder" taking place in the next 20 years, if ever, are "very slim."
Hembree has also been accused of killing two other women. One was 30-year-old Randi Dean Saldana, whose burnt remains were found near Blacksburg, S.C. in 2009. The other was 30-year-old Deborah Ratchford, whose body was found in 1992.
He admitted to taking drugs and having sex with Catterton and Saldana on the days they died, but told jurors he did not kill them or dispose of their bodies, according to ABC News' Raleigh-Durham affiliate WTVD. He is scheduled to go on trial for Saldana's killing in March.
Hembree confessed to killing the three women during recorded police interviews, but later said the confessions were an attempt to cover up a string of armed robberies, according to the Gaston Gazette.
In the letter, Hembree also mocks the judicial system.
"I laugh at you self righteous clowns and I spit in the face of your so called justice system. The state of North Carolina has sentenced me to death but it's not real," he wrote.
North Carolina State Representative Paul Stam told WTVD that the letter is a travesty of justice. He said that it is more likely that Hembree will die of natural causes than of the death penalty.
"His punishment does not fit his crime at all," Stam said.
Hembree tells the citizens of Gaston County, N.C., that they should petition that state and force them to carry out his "murder sentence."
The Gaston County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to request for comment.
"I am a man who is ready to except [sic] his unjustful punishment and face God almighty with a clean conscience unlike you cowards and your cowardly system," Hembree wrote. "Kill me if you can suckers. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
The letter is signed, "Sincerely, Danny Hembree."

 

[Sukerkin]

Clearly a well balanced member of society there ...

 

[seasoned]

He can gloat all he wants, who in the he** would want to take his place no matter how great he thinks he has it. His fate is sealed, nice not knowing you, dirt bag......................

 

[ballen0351]

He just got there give it a few years he will be ready to leave. He either hates it already and is trying reverse psychology to get his sentence carried out sooner or he's just nuts. More likely a little of both.

 

[MJS]

Well, I agree with the last 3 posters. IMO, crazy as he may appear to be, whats really sad, is that what he's saying is true. 3 square meals, a bed, medical care, etc. Chances are, he's isolated from the non-death row inmates, and possibly locked down for a good portion of the day, so the odds of assault from another inmate are slim. And unless NC is a state that is pro death penalty, he's right...he'll probably die in prison.

Its people like this, who, if there is no shadow of doubt that they're guilty, then give them a set amount of time, ie: a month or two, to get their stuff in order, strap the SOB down, and flip the switch. IMO, this guy serves no useful purpose to society. Yeah, I know....that sounds cold hearted and mean, but its the truth.

 

[Sukerkin]

No argument from me :nods:.

When a person is clearly a genuine danger to society at large and there is no doubt of guilt then, as I've posted on before, I have no troubled conscience with the death penalty.

Undoing it when an accused turns out to be innocent is, of course, impossible; that's why my sticking point is absolute proof.

 

[MA-Caver]

:idunno: The definition of "cruel and unusual punishment" needs to be radically re-defined. Bleeding hearts and greedy lawyers helped make prisons a nice a place to be incarcerated as possible.
Used to be a saying, "Don't do the crime if you can't handle the time"... now it should be changed "G'wan do the crime, you'll have a nice time!"

Seriously, no, not all prisons are laps of luxuries. Some are still quite terrifying, particularly super-max prisons which house the most violent of our society. You'll be given a man-card upon release if you are in one piece and still can be heard from across the room when you break wind.

 

[Buka]

Well, I agree with the last 3 posters. IMO, crazy as he may appear to be, whats really sad, is that what he's saying is true. 3 square meals, a bed, medical care, etc. Chances are, he's isolated from the non-death row inmates, and possibly locked down for a good portion of the day, so the odds of assault from another inmate are slim. And unless NC is a state that is pro death penalty, he's right...he'll probably die in prison.

Its people like this, who, if there is no shadow of doubt that they're guilty, then give them a set amount of time, ie: a month or two, to get their stuff in order, strap the SOB down, and flip the switch. IMO, this guy serves no useful purpose to society. Yeah, I know....that sounds cold hearted and mean, but its the truth.

Quoted for truth.
That evil man laughs at us, as well he should, we allow it.

 

[MJS]

I worked in Corrections in CT for a short time. Yes, it was just like this guy said. LOL!

Its interesting...some people talk so much crap about Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but I have to wonder....do the inmates at his prison think its a Club Med resort? Judging by the shows I've seen, it seems like a pretty miserable place to be. Too bad more prisons can't be like his.

 

[Carol]

Hembree tells the citizens of Gaston County, N.C., that they should petition that state and force them to carry out his "murder sentence."

Sounds to me as if he is trying to commit suicide. He'd like to do that as painlessly/easily as possible. State-administered pentothal is probably one of the gentlest ways to do so.

 

[MA-Caver]

Sounds to me as if he is trying to commit suicide. He'd like to do that as painlessly/easily as possible. State-administered pentothal is probably one of the gentlest ways to do so.

"Ah to sleep, and to forever dream."
I guess that falls under the protection of the "cruel and unusual punishment"