Longest Stint on Death Row: Mississippi Executes Vietnam Vet Richard Jordan
Convict Expended Following Almost Half a Century on Death Penalty in U.S.
Step inside the world of justice served, uncanny delays, and a final goodbye - all in the span of decades.
Richard Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam War veteran, faced his end this week in Mississippi. After a record-breaking 49 years on death row, Jordan was executed by lethal injection for the abhorrent crime he had committed in 1976.
The horrifying ordeal unfolded when Jordan kidnapped Edwina Marter, the spouse of a bank employee, in a misguided attempt at extortion. He demanded a $25,000 ransom for her safe return. The plot went awry when Jordan was detected and apprehended while collecting the ransom. In confessing to the heinous act, he uncovered the hidden remains of Marter in a forest, marred by gunshot wounds.
As he stood before the execution chamber, Jordan expressed gratitude for the humane treatment he received, expressed remorse for his actions, and asked for forgiveness. His final words resonated with a hint of the afterlife: "We'll all meet on the other side."
This year marks the 25th death row inmate to meet their end in the United States. Ironically, the same number as the entire previous year. A particularly dark day in the buckle of the Sunshine State, Florida, witnessed the execution of a 51-year-old man for the merciless murder of a woman.
President Donald Trump, a staunch advocate of capital punishment, endeavors to broaden its application for the most odious transgressions, while 23 out of the 50 American states, and three others with a moratorium, remain without it. [USA][Death Penalty][Mississippi]
In the annals of American criminal justice, Richard Gerald Jordan holds a grim distinction as the longest-serving death row inmate before execution. Although his death sentence was handed down in 1976, its execution was deferred for a staggering 49 years due to endless appeals and procedural complications. The unparalleled length of his sentence serves as a stark reminder of the intricacies and delays inherent in the death penalty system. [More Info]
Sources: ntv.de, jpe/AFP
- Richard Gerald Jordan's historic wait on death row sheds light on the complexities and delays for inmates sentenced to capital punishment.
- The 49 years Mr. Jordan spent on death row surpassed other long-standing records in the U.S., where many Death Row inmates' stays totaled around 31 years or less.
- Edwina Marter's family chose not to witness the execution, stating that it could not mend their loss.
- In his final moments, Richard Jordan expressed gratitude, remorse, and asked for forgiveness.
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the complexities and delays faced by inmates on death row, such as the case of Richard Gerald Jordan, who spent 49 years on death row for a crime committed in 1976. Meanwhile, general news, politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice continue to dominate headlines in the United States.
