Patriot News story offers anti-dp argument....if you look for it
On April 24, the Patriot News- Harrisburg's daily fishwrap- published the article "Death row loneliness lies ahead for woman". Pennlive.com will only have this article posted until May 7, so if you're reading this after May 7...... you should be reading this blog every day. For those of you who haven't set The Central Pennsylvania Abolitionist as your homepage (yet), here's the lead:
Death row loneliness lies ahead for woman
Mother to join 5 others for her
hatchet murder of Lock Haven man, 83
Sunday, April 24, 2005
BY JOHN
BEAUGE
For The Patriot-News
MUNCY - Shonda Walter will most likely
never hug her daughter again.
In fact, the 25-year-old single mother could finish her life without ever touching another person, prison authorities say.
That's because Walter, who killed her 83-year-old Lock Haven neighbor by hitting him 66 times with a hatchet, joined an exclusive club last week.
She will be one of six women on death row in Pennsylvania.
Now, my first thought was, 'Wow, this will not win any converts to the cause.' Sure, everyone feels terrible for her daughter who will grow up, for all intents and purposes, without a mother, and Ms. Walter might win sympathy from a lot of people had she been abused, like many female criminals. (The article notes that no evidence of abuse was presented at trial.)
But, for crying out loud, the lady cut up an 83 year-old man with a hatchet and then sat there while he pleaded with her to call 911. This is the kind of story abolitionists run from.
Look deeper.
This article describes the isolation of death row. She will never hug her daughter again. She may never even so much as touch another human being. 22 hours per day are spent in her cell. Her toilet is just a few feet from her bed. Her two hours of outdoor time are spent in a cage with another prisoner nearby but separate.
With the death penalty, she'll live this way for maybe 10-15 years.
With a life sentence, she would live this way for 45 years. What's the average lifespan these days, 75? We'll knock off five years because living in prison is rough and guess that she would live to 70. 45 years of this isolation as punishment for murdering her neighbor.
Chew on that.
I'm not one who argues that life imprisonment is actually worse than the death penalty because, frankly, I cannot imagine living out either scenario. But 45 years (!) of near total isolation? That's heavy.
Anyone who argues that doing away with the death penalty would allow murderers to go "unpunished" (Mr. District Attorney, I'm talking to you) is a damn fool.
posted by The Central Pennsylvania Abolitionist @ 7:34 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
I think LWOP is better tha the death penalty. And creatures like Shonda Walters deserve this isolation. Only because of them most death row prisons have these rules. This evil creature threatend a few days ago to kill another woman who is with her on the row, just because she doesn't like her. She is evil and has no remorse, therefore she shall rot behind these bars!
Please bear in mind that the only people likely to read this post are her mother and daughter-by calling Shonda an evil creature you are only hurting her family and they are victims too.
I feel sorry for all those that think by writting something so nasty about another person not knowing who she is not being a friend not knowing her life and all the good she has done. God has told us to forgive those that point the fingure and judge people that is not our job it is his. I am a friend of Shondas and i know alot more than you know. She is not an evil creature and she does have compaadsion and have feelings and i have not had the time to go see her or i would . Everyone has had things go wrong in there life . We are not the one to judge weather she did this crime or not. I know there were more than one person involved and there is something not right with this case. How can someone sit on death row for 15 years and more and she has been there 6 and they are going to put her to death . I do not think she was in the right state of mine if she did do this horrible crime. But weather or not she did it she should not be put to death . I am sorry but i am a real friend and i stand by my friends no matter what they do . Even if i do not belive what they are doing or did is right . But instead of condeming her maybe some of you should pray for her. And hope she is saved and she has asked for forgivness instead of bashing her. There is so much hate in this world and it seems to never stop. And yes her family probably will read this and her daughter is an innocent victim so watch what you say cause these people going thru this don't need the bull crap
Five years later... I've never heard of this and I never read things like this. But in the wake of Shonda's execution date being set, I finally decided to go online and try to find her address so I can write to her after putting it off for 7 years. I found this along the way.
I have no excuse for waiting this long. I wasn't sure if she'd want to hear from me, how to get ahold of her, or what to say... but it should have been done a long time ago.
Shonda was one of my best friends when I was younger. We spent the night at each other's houses, knew each other's families, were involved in the same activities in school and knew each other inside and out. We grew apart after she graduated high school, but I never stopped caring for her or thinking about her.
I would never have ever imagined this happening in a million years. You could not find a more polite and kind person in your life. But if she did do this, there's something you all need to remember. No matter what she did, she is still a daughter, a mother, a sister and a friend.
And I hope that her mother and her daughter do read this someday and know that there are still people in this world who love her and think about her.
Instead of judging the next person that comes along, you should say a prayer for them. You don't know their life.
I will never stop praying for her.
Thank you Carolyn and the person above. (I wrote the 8:10 anon post too) I write to Shonda and I totally support everything you said.
Carolyn,if you read this please keep on writing even if you dont get replies-I know in the past old friends have written to her a couple times and then stopped. She kept getting let down so just keep writing until she gets the message that she can rely on your support and friendship. xx
Thank you so much. I will do that!
Shonda I miss you and all the fun we had (especially in chemistry class). You are the most artistic person I know! You are not an evil person you are the most caring, intelligent, thoughtful and giving person i ever met.
Amy Stabley
KATT,
I DONT EVEN KNOW SHONDA ONLY WAT I SAW ON A SHOW CALLED DEADLY WOMEN BUT THOSE SHOWS R WAY TO EXAGERATING FOR ME ANYWAYS. IM A 38 YE OLD MOTHER NOW OF A 21 YR OLD BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMEN NOW BUT I TOO ONCE WAS A MEMBER OF THE BLOOD GANG IN LOS ANGLES CA I WONT MENTION HOW I GOT IN BUT IM NOT PROUD OF I JUST HATE THE FACT THAT THE DHOW DIDNT BOTHER TO MENTION THE PRESSURE THST IS PUT UPON U WHEN DO JOIN THESE GANGS WHY SHE CHOSE TO DO SO I DONT UNDERSTAND IT COS I C LOVE FOR HER OUT HER SHE HAD A FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND EDUCATION AND A CHILD SO C SOMETHING DEEPER WAS GOING WITH HER AND SOMETIMES AS PARENTS AND FRIENDS WHEN C A SMILE ON UR FACE WE JUST ASSUME EVERYTHING IS OK AND SO FAR AS HER THREATHING ANOTHER INMATE HEY U CANT SHOW THAT UR SCARED OR U WILL B IN WORLD OF TROUBLE BUT DEATH PENALTY ISNT GOING TO BRING ANYBODY BK FROM DEATH IM AGAISNT THE DEATH PENALTY MAYBE PEOPLE NEED TO LIVE WITH THEIR GUILT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES THE VICTIMS FAMILY HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHAT HAPPEN FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. IM NO JUDGE OR JOUROR I THINK I WANT TO SAY WHAT SHONDA WAS GOING THRU BUT THE ACT OF HER CRIME KINDA CONFUSES ME AND WHAT TOOK PLACE DURING IT HOW DO U NOT THINK ABOUT SOMETHING MUST BE GOING ON DEEPER WITH HER WELL I WILL PUT HER NAME AND HER FAMILY IN THE PRAYER BASKET THIS MORNING SUNDAY 8/21/11
But here's the difference between being on death row and getting life w/out parole. As you said, those on death row are only out of their cells for 2 hours a day, and "may" never touch another person. But those with life w/out parole are in the general population, get to go out and recreate all day (play basketball), take classes, work,get privileges. So there is a major difference in the agony of being on death row than being in the general population.
I dont think theres anyone that doesnt feel for Ms. Walters daughter for yes she is a innocent victim in what has happened but we are forgetting the man whos life Shonda Walters took. He did nothing wrong his only crime was being in his own home. Ms Walters needs to account for the choices that she made in her life. She CHOSE to join a gang to find validation and worth versus a more positive way.
She CHOSE to the gang life style. There are single mothers out here not in gangs making it every day breaking the cycle. She CHOSE to murder a man in cold blood with no remorse "because she could". And she must be prepared to accept the concequences of her choices
Shonda did not kill that man for gang reasons michele mathis is responsable for the killing was shonda apart yes. These bloods in williamsport werr jokes aaron the guy driving the car was part of it as well that story about shonda doing all that was made up. Shanee gaines is a lier. Shonda basicly gave them a robbery target and the bloods hatched that man to death to rob him
@anon 9:21 - If that's the case then why wasn't Shanee, Michelle or Aaron convicted as accomplices?
Why didn't Shonda implicate them when under oath? She swore to tell the "whole truth" didn't she? So - what happened? Amnesia?
She has exhausted her appeals & never implied she had help ... so I'm confused. Either she committed the crime by herself or this is another Manson case. Which is it?
Confused o.O
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