Michigan Killer Escapes Death Penalty On A Technicality (children, case, attorney)

[Cliffie]

Families baffled by Gabrion decision | WOOD TV8

He was eligible for the death penalty because the one victim found was on federal land. he sounds like a real dream date:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Shannon Verhage's grandmother doesn't necessarily believe in the death penalty, but she liked knowing Marvin Gabrion's death was always in the back of his own mind. Relatives of Gabrion's victims were baffled by Wednesday's U.S. Appeals court ruling to toss out the death penalty over a mistake in court.
Gabrion was convicted of killing Rachel Timmerman, and is believed to have killed her 1-year-old daughter, Shannon. There's also the disappearances of two men, the death of a third man.
A federal appeals court overturned Gabrion's death sentence for drowning Rachel Timmerman in a remote lake to prevent her from pursuing a rape case against him. His conviction remains intact.
Both the Timmerman and Verhage families want to see him on death row.
Moderator cut: copyright violation

[Lodestar 77]

I wanna know what the mistake was that the judge made that allowed this atrocity, and how/why he made it. He has made his way up the ranks to judge, and with prosecutors, someone should have caught the "error". What a shame, he deserved to die for the way he killed his victim, and her missing baby girl may never be found.

[Lodestar 77]

Obviously you are anti-death penalty. I happen to see no reason to keep people who commit crimes like this alive. You're right, I didn't read the story, I read what followed the link, and it did not state the reason. The Judge apparently believed that because the lake was on Federal land, the death penalty could be applied. Too many conflicting rules, regulations and laws between the states and the Federal government to keep track of.

[Cliffie]

There is one advantage to keeping this guy alive: he may eventually reveal the location of the baby.

[barbaro1]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

There is one advantage to keeping this guy alive: he may eventually reveal the location of the baby.

I just saw this story on TV last night. It is very sad. I live in Michigan and was surprised that the monster got the death penalty until i read because the lake is on federal land, it became a federal case. Therefore, I don't know why his sentence was commuted. It is so sad about the baby who I believe is no longer with us. i have no problem with executing scum like this. none whatsoever.

[wyliekioti]

The family is not screaming for his blood. One was sobbing when he described the way Gabrion killed Rachel, the other said she didn't care weather he lived or died she just wanted to him to feel a little bit of the fear he put Rachel through, knowing that everyday, someone was planning his death. I am that second person.

It was proven during the trial that anyone who comes in contact with him is in danger. He had attacked guards and other inmates while awaiting trial. There were dozens of witness during the penalty phase of the trail who testified about how he beat them, shot at them, shot into the room where he could see was occupied by small children, set houses on fire, beat up a whole family, including their dog and dragging their 10 y-o son out of bed to beat. He even attacked his attorney in court, and has attacked several of his attorneys while imprisoned. He is like a rabid animal, everyone who comes in contact with him is in danger.

I know this because I am the paternal grandmother of the baby. She lived with us for over half her life. I am not a death penalty supporter, but was convinced during the trail that this man cannot ever even have contact with other prisoners, because that would mean he'd kill again. He's killed at least 5 others that they know of (allegedly)

I'm the one who pressed for him to be tried in federal court, one because of all the times he'd been arrested for attacking others, he always skated, and two I hoped he'd tell us where Shannon was if they took death off the table. The day before the trial started he offered to plead guilty to littering (throwing Rachel in the lake, alive) and tell where Shannon was to avoid the dp.

So, tell me how does this make me as bad as Gabrion?
BTW: The government appealed the decision throwing out the dp. Appeal was heard by the entire 6th Circuit. The dp was reinstated, by an overwhelming majority of the justices.

[dude1984]

It takes for ever to kill these P.O.S. He'll probably die of natural causes or suicide before the government puts him down.