Terri
01-12-2003, 10:06 AM
Paul Walfield
GOPUSA News
January 13, 2003
(GOPUSA News) -- Stating that the "system has failed," Illinois Governor Jim Ryan pardoned four death row inmates, allowing three of the four so pardoned to walk out of prison. Aaron Patterson, LeRoy Orange, and Madison Hobley are free men today. The fourth, Stanley Howard, who had been convicted of another crime as well as the pardoned murder, remained imprisoned.
Aaron Patterson was convicted of murdering Vincent Sanchez, and his wife, Rafaela, while burglarizing their home. Patterson was the leader of the Apache Rangers street gang, and admitted in an unsigned statement that he killed the two. He also confessed while in a police lockup. A 16-year-old girl testified at his trial that Patterson told her he killed the couple. Patterson had previously been convicted of an unrelated attempted murder and aggravated assault charge.
LeRoy Orange was convicted of murdering four people, including his girlfriend and her 10-year-old son; setting their apartment on fire in a bungled attempt to hide the crime. Investigators found the victims remains with their hands tied behind their backs. Orange confessed to the murders within hours of his arrest. He told police he went to the apartment to purchase drugs and ended up stabbing all four victims. Orange had no previous convictions.
Full Story (http://gopusa.com/news/reporters/filed/0111_pardons.shtml)
Ryan put three men back onto the streets because they were allegedly beaten by the police.
While I do not support beatings by police, I did not hear the governor make the case that these men did not commit the crimes for which they were convicted, only that they were improperly treated.
So what do we say to victims of these vicious brutal men? Sorry? *What happened to you doesn't matter because the police blew it? *Apparently so.
And what do we say to the future victims of these killers placed back on the street by a man sworn to protect the citizens of Illinois?
GOPUSA News
January 13, 2003
(GOPUSA News) -- Stating that the "system has failed," Illinois Governor Jim Ryan pardoned four death row inmates, allowing three of the four so pardoned to walk out of prison. Aaron Patterson, LeRoy Orange, and Madison Hobley are free men today. The fourth, Stanley Howard, who had been convicted of another crime as well as the pardoned murder, remained imprisoned.
Aaron Patterson was convicted of murdering Vincent Sanchez, and his wife, Rafaela, while burglarizing their home. Patterson was the leader of the Apache Rangers street gang, and admitted in an unsigned statement that he killed the two. He also confessed while in a police lockup. A 16-year-old girl testified at his trial that Patterson told her he killed the couple. Patterson had previously been convicted of an unrelated attempted murder and aggravated assault charge.
LeRoy Orange was convicted of murdering four people, including his girlfriend and her 10-year-old son; setting their apartment on fire in a bungled attempt to hide the crime. Investigators found the victims remains with their hands tied behind their backs. Orange confessed to the murders within hours of his arrest. He told police he went to the apartment to purchase drugs and ended up stabbing all four victims. Orange had no previous convictions.
Full Story (http://gopusa.com/news/reporters/filed/0111_pardons.shtml)
Ryan put three men back onto the streets because they were allegedly beaten by the police.
While I do not support beatings by police, I did not hear the governor make the case that these men did not commit the crimes for which they were convicted, only that they were improperly treated.
So what do we say to victims of these vicious brutal men? Sorry? *What happened to you doesn't matter because the police blew it? *Apparently so.
And what do we say to the future victims of these killers placed back on the street by a man sworn to protect the citizens of Illinois?