U.S.A VICTIMS’ FAMILIES WHOM JUSTICE WAS SERVED [2005 TO 2010] 40 QUOTES

Some people claim that the death penalty does not do anything to help the victims’ families. However, the same can be said of life imprisonment, it does nothing either. When the killer is executed, it may or may not bring joy to the victims’ family member. But the family members have one undeniable comfort: they can rest easy knowing that the killer is dead and gone instead of sleeping soundly in a prison bed. A dead killer can hurt nobody anymore. Here are 40 quotes from victims’ families in the U.S.A who were satisfied that the killers of their loved ones were gone. The killers were executed between 2005 to 2010:             

1. "I need to know that he's gone, that we don't have to deal with this anymore," said Kristie Reed, now 25 and an advocate for rape victims. "I was totally against the death penalty before this happened, and I didn't know why people would want to do it. But those people haven't been through what we've been through. Now I'm totally for it. He definitely deserves to die. He needs to die for what he did to Stacie." - Kristie Reed is the sister of Stacie Reed who was murdered by Paul Warner Powell on 29 January 1999. Paul Warner Powell was put to death by the electric chair on 18 March 2010.

2. "This is my happy day that I was here to see this execution," said Mary Jane Heiss, the victim's mother. She watched Biros die from her wheelchair while hooked up to an oxygen tank because of lung disease. - Mary Jane Heiss is the mother of Tami L. Engstrom who was murdered by Kenneth Biros on 8 February 1991. He was executed by lethal injection in Ohio on 8 December 2009.

3. "I'm just glad the state of Ohio came up with the procedure," said Tom Heiss, the dead woman's brother. "I have no thoughts for him. I'm glad he's gone. It brought some closure to our family." The Heiss family applauded briefly after Biros' death was announced. - Tom Heiss is the brother of Tami L. Engstrom who was murdered by Kenneth Biros on 8 February 1991. He was executed by lethal injection in Ohio on 8 December 2009.

 

4. Patty Solomon, Foster's granddaughter, read a statement afterward that said, in part, "The law has been upheld and justice has been served. ... It is time to put this behind us and move on with our lives. It is now our time to heal." - Patty Solomon is the granddaughter of Loretta Mae Foster who was murdered by Lawrence Reynold Jr on January 1994. He was executed by the state of Ohio on 16 March 2010. 

5. "As sad as this may be, and it's very sad, justice has been served," said Terri Rasul, Salman's sister. "I just hope that this is a lesson for the young children today that they will learn not to do what Mark Brown did to my brother." - Terri Rasul is  the sister of Isam Salman who was murdered by Mark Brown on 28 January 1994. Mark Brown was executed on 4 February 2010 in the state of Ohio.

6. Nelson Rivera, whose wife, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, was gunned down as she vacuumed her van at a Maryland gas station, said that when he watched Muhammad's chest moving for the last time, he was glad. "I feel better. I think I can breathe better," he said. "I'm glad he's gone because he's not going to hurt anyone else." - Nelson Rivera whose wife was shot dead by John Allen Muhammad, she was his 7th victim. He was executed by the state of Virginia on 10 November 2009.

7. Cheryll Witz, whose father, Jerry Taylor, was fatally shot on a Tucson, Ariz., golf course in March 2002, said she was unhappy that Muhammad didn't say anything before he died. But she said his execution begins a new chapter in her life. "I've waited seven long years for this," she said. "My life is totally beginning now. I have all my closure, and my justice and my peace."

"When Muhammad was put to death, I thought justice was served," Cheryll Shaw said at a family home.  Her father, Jerry Taylor, was killed by D.C. snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo on a Tucson golf course.

"The first thing that went across my head when the execution started was just reliving everything of how my dad was killed," she said.

"But then you think, 'this is another life being taken,' but then when you sit back and realize that this was my father he took place in killing, I believe he got what he deserved," Shaw said.

8. The victim's mother, Dottie Poage, also witnessed the execution. She described her son as someone who wanted friends, and made a bad choice in befriending Elijah Page. "He stepped out of those boundaries, and considered someone a friend who took his life and he paid the ultimate price," said Poage. "Elijah Page had the ultimate penalty for his ultimate crime. And for that I am proud of the state, the attorney general, the governor, everyone at the penitentiary for a job well done. I am proud to be an American." - Dottie Poage the mother of Chester Allen Poage, who was murdered by Elijah Page and two men on 12 March 2000. Elijah Page was executed in South Dakota on 11 July 2007. 

9. More than 11 years ago, Erick Martinez awoke to his mother's cries and tried to defend her from an attack by a knife-wielding intruder at their San Antonio home. On Wednesday night, he watched as the man who also stabbed him was put to death. "It wasn't difficult," he said after witnessing the execution of 38-year-old Luis Salazar. "I was kind of looking forward to it." - Erick Martinez whose mother was stabbed to death by Luis Cervantes Salazar on 11 October 1997. He was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 11 March 2009.

10. Bounds' daughter, Jena Watson, also spoke, saying her mother would have wanted people to forgive Berry. "Tonight, we feel that we have received justice for what was done," she said - Jena Watson whose mother, Mary Bounds was beaten to death by Earl Wesley Berry on 29 November 1987. He was executed by lethal injection in Mississippi on 21 May 2008.

11. Walker and her twin sister, Malissa King Adams, spoke to the media after Holland's execution. They held a picture of the smiling teenager with flowing, shoulder-length blond hair. "We had 11 years with our sister," Walker said. "I'm not having nightmares anymore."

“It took 24 years, 24 of my personal years, to get to this point to see the man die who killed my sister," Walker said. "I can really say it is over with. My sister will finally have peace. I believe that." - Marcie Walker and Melissa King Adams whose sister, Krystal Dee King was murdered by Gerald Holland on 12 September 1986. He was executed on 20 May 2010.

12. Priscilla Hodges said she hopes Bieghler made peace with God before he died and she hopes he is with God. She still thinks he deserved to die. "I believe in the death penalty and, yes, I believe Marvin deserved to die," she said. "Because I believe he killed my children." - Priscilla Hodges is the mother of Tommy Miller, whom along with Kimberly Miller were murdered by Marvin Bieghler on 10 December 1981. Marvin Bieghler was executed by lethal injection in Indiana on 27 January 2006.

13. "We just wanted to know justice would be done," Able Nandin, the victim's brother, said after watching the execution. "Justice was done." Addressing his slain brother by name, he added, "We miss you and we love you." - Able Nandin is the brother of Nemecio Nandin who was murdered by Luis Ramirez on 8 April 1998. Luis Ramirez was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 20 October 2005.

14. Wesley Adams, Jr. released a statement after the execution: "We have sympathy and pray for comfort for those who will grieve Steve's passing. We do, however, feel that justice was upheld and that this fate was sealed many years ago. We feel that the enforcement of duly deliberated and prescribed sentences send a stronger message, as to the sanctity of human life, than does the sparing of those who have taken life willfully and brutally." - Wesley Adams Jr whose father and stepmother was murdered by Steven Van McHone on 3 June 1990. Steven Van McHone (March 23, 1970 – November 11, 2005) was a murderer executed by the U.S. state of North Carolina. He was convicted of killing his mother, Mildred Johnson Adams, and stepfather Wesley Dalton Adams, Sr. on June 3, 1990 in Surry County, North Carolina.

15. Lawson said she will drive to Huntsville this morning to watch Anderson get his due and hopefully begin to close the trying 14-year wait for justice to be served. "I'm not a violent person at all, but I am looking forward to this closure knowing that he is going to die for what he did," she said. The family has had to endure the trial - during and after which Lawson said she "couldn't eat or sleep for a while because of it" - and years of state and federal court appeals, which always jolted them back to the gruesome details of Audra's death.   

Lawson said she always had the nagging worry that as long as Anderson was alive, other children were in danger. "We had him, but there was still the possibility that he could escape or what have you, and if he did this to another child it would have killed us," she said - Grace Lawson is the grandmother of Audra Ann Reeves who was murdered by Robert James Anderson on 9 June 1992. He was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 20 July 2006. 

16. Sonia Hollingsworth-Wills, the mother of Conrad Johnson, the last man slain that October, sat in the back seat of a car outside the prison before the execution, which she chose not to witness. But she said she wanted to be there and was counting the minutes until Muhammad's death. "It was the most horrifying day of my life," she said. "I'll never get complete closure but at least I can put this behind me." - Sonia Hollingsworth-Wills whose son, Conrad Johnson who was shot dead by John Allen Muhammad on 22 October 2002. He was executed by the state of Virginia on 10 November 2009.

17. Mark Velcheck of Florissant, one of Wood's brothers, said earlier Tuesday he was relieved that the sentence would be carried out. "I'm glad for Barbara that this person will pay the price," said Velcheck, a witness. "You hate to say you want somebody to die, but this guy deserves it." - Mark Velcheck of Florissant is the brother of Barbara Jo Wood. She was murdered by Stanley L. Hall on 15 January 1994. Stanley was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on 16 March 2005.

18. The former truck driver-turned-drifter confessed to killing five people including Joseph Daron Jr., 46, of Milford. Daron’s 23-year-old daughter decided not to witness the execution, but said she was happy to see her father’s murderer loaded into the hearse. Rachel Daron and her mother, Sandy Bronner, both of Amelia, watched from a prison visitors’ room. “I’m just glad this is finally over,” said Rachel, who was 4 when her father was fatally shot twice in the chest by the hitchhiker.

Rachel Daron said she wasn’t disappointed that Fautenberry didn’t make a statement “because I know he’s not sorry. He didn’t care. Even if he did (make a statement) it’s not going to bring my dad back or any of the other victims back. I just saw him go to the hearse and that was good enough for me.” Rachel said she doesn’t remember much about her father. “He liked to drink coffee. I never really got to know him. He was stolen from me.” - Rachel Daron whose father, Joseph Daron Jr. was murdered by John Joseph Fautenberry on 17 February 1991. He was executed by lethal injection in Ohio on 14 July 2009. 

19. “I can sleep a little more better,” Latisha Clark, Patrick Clark’s twin sister, said after watching Moore die. “Knowing that he’s not going to be on the street, I can feel more comfortable,” her sister, Peggy, added. “Justice has been served.” - Family members of Patrick Clark who was murdered by Frank Moore on 21 January 1994. He was executed by lethal injection on 21 January 2009 in the State of Texas.

20. "It brings closure that he is gone, but it will never bring back Julie - what he's done to our family, I hope that he did say he's sorry to someone for what he had done," said Belinda Crites, another cousin. "We want to make sure the devil dies. He's gone now so I hope they can rest in peace." – Belinda Crites is the cousin of Julie Heath. Eric Randall Nance (January 1, 1960 – November 28, 2005) was an American man who was convicted of the murder of Julie Heath on 11 October 1993 in the state of Arkansas. While on death row, the former heating and air conditioning technician obtained his high school equivalency certificate and penned multiple poems, one of which was set to music and recorded by the Celtic Tenors. Nance was executed in 2005, twelve years following the crime.

21. "He's going to hell." Nicholas Long, the victim's stepson, held a sign with Long's photograph. "We're going to get some justice at 12 o'clock," he said. After the execution, Long's relatives planned to gather and celebrate, he said. "It's been 11 years. We need to get justice." – Nicholas Long is the stepson of Sandra Lee Long who was murdered by Brian D. "Red" Steckel on 2 September 1994. Brian D. "Red" Steckel was executed by lethal injection in Delaware on 4 November 2005.

22. Jamie Reising, 21, who watched Barton kill her mother, was given permission to leave the Warren County jail to witness the execution. She is serving time on a drug charge. "This is closure for our family," she said afterward. "He took the glue that was holding us together." 

Her sister, Tiffany, 24, who was wearing a button with her mother’s picture on it, said she would "mourn the loss of Rocky Barton," but she was glad that "justice was served." "We’re going to try and move forward as a family. We know that’s what our mother would want us to do." Barton’s nephew, Andy Mitchell, said, "Rocky is home now. He’s in a better place." - Children of Kimbirli Jo Barton who was murdered by Rocky Lee Barton on 16 January 2003. He said he deserved execution and gave up his appeals that could have delayed his sentence for years and was executed by lethal injection in Ohio on 12 July 2006.

23. "Daryl Mack will never harm anyone ever again," May said. "It has been a long and very rough road for us all. Tonight that journey ends and closure begins. Justice has been served." "A weight was lifted off our shoulders," he said. "Life starts over. We don't have to worry about Daryl Mack occupying our lives, controlling our lives, wondering when the next appeal is going to come. It is a new beginning." "Mom couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day gift. Rest in peace, mom." – Charles May whose mother, Betty Jane May She was murdered by Daryl Linnie Mack on 28 October 1988. He was executed by lethal injection in Nevada on 26 April 2006. Daryl Linnie Mack, a 47 year-old black male, was voluntarily executed by lethal injection at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City, Nevada on April 26, 2006. Mack was found guilty of the 1988 murder of Betty Jane May, a 55 year-old white female. Mack, who was 30 years old when he committed the capital crime, was sentenced to death on May 15, 2002. He was the 1019th execution carried out in US since 1976.

24. "He got what he deserved," said Bailey, who said the family has suffered depression and nightmares from the horror. In a written statement, Bailey said he was convinced that Lundgren would kill again if he were released from prison. "There is only one sure way to make sure this never happens again: To be sure his life is forfeited for the terrible deeds he has done. The memories of his victims and the welfare of society and demands of justice all dictate this final act of cleansing," Bailey wrote. "My only regret is that he has but one life to give." - Donald Bailey is the brother of Cheryl Avery. The Avery family who were murdered by Jeffrey Don Lundgren and his accomplices on 17 April 1989. He was executed by lethal injection in Ohio on 24 October 2006. 

25. “I do not believe in killing people, but when someone so close to you is taken away, you realize there are some people in this world that deserve justice, and he is one of them.” - Dawn Randolph is the great grandchild of Otis Earl Short who was shot dead by Jeffrey David Matthews on 27 January 1994. Jeffrey David Matthews was executed by the State of Oklahoma on 11 January 2011.

26. Mares said he wished to thank several law enforcement agencies from the Amarillo area including the district attorney’s office, the Amarillo Police Department and several forensic investigators who worked on the case. “I would also like to thank the state of Texas, because I’m very happy and thankful we do have the death penalty,” he said. “It’s something we definitely need in our society. When you lose a family member like we lost, it never escapes your mind. It’s the first thing on your mind in the morning and the last thing on your mind at night.” - Robert Mares the father of Michael Barrow who was murdered by Larry Donnell Davis on 28 August 1995. Larry Donnell Davis was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 31 August 2008.

27. "I thought this day would never come," said Crane's sister, Renee Lander, who witnessed the execution, speaking at a news conference after the execution. "We waited a long time to see him put to death. I'm very glad to have seen him take his last breath. I wish it could have been brutal like Rhonda's death." - Renee Lander whose sister, Rhonda Crane who was murdered by Paul Woodward on 23 July 1986. He was executed by the state of Mississippi on 19 May 2010.

28. Greg Gordon, McBride's brother-in-law, said Burns' death brought some closure to their family. "For nearly 16 years the wheels of justice have had our family on a nightmare of a roller coaster ride," he said. "Today, justice was served for that senseless act, and the ride has finally come to an end." - Greg Gordon is the brother-in-law of Floyd Melvin "Mike" McBride who was murdered on 9 November 1994. The killer, Daniel Burns was executed in the state of Mississippi on 21 July 2010.

29. The execution was witnessed by the victim's brother, Jim Kirby, son Nathan, who was just 4 years old when his father died, and other family members. Afterward, Jim Kirby said Boltz's execution was "long overdue." "It was a horrific crime," he said. "It deserved the punishment that was given. "We're all relieved that it's all over with." - Jim Kirby is the brother of Doug Kirby who was murdered by his stepfather, John Albert Boltz on 18 April 1984. He was executed by lethal injection on 1 June 2006.

30. Judy Woodard, Union City, said early today that her great-aunt now can rest in peace. "It's been a long time. I'm so glad it's over," she said. "Justice has been done." - Judy Woodard is the great niece of Ruby Hutslar who was murdered by Gregory Scott Johnson on 23 June 1985. Gregory Scott Johnson was executed by lethal injection in Indiana on 25 May 2005.

 

31. Bagwell's execution was the third this year in Texas. Ten inmates have execution dates set in the next three months. "I'm just glad it's all over with," said Monica Boone, Tassy Boone's mother. "Everybody that's been touched by this madman can rest in peace." - Monica Boone is the mother of Tassy Boone who was murdered by Dennis Wayne Bagwell on 20 September 1995. Dennis was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 17 February 2005.

32. "We can get on with our lives now and have peace," said Stotler's mother, Mary Ann Bockwich. Stotler's daughter, Lisa Stotler Balloun, said the day "was not a good day no matter what anyone says" and expressed sympathy for Perry's family. But she said his last statement validated the jury's death sentence. "I needed to look into his eyes and see if he was the monster I had made him out to be, because he was just a 19-year-old kid at the time," Balloun said. "When he said that, I knew that he was. I knew that justice had been served." - Family members of Sandra Stotler who was murdered by Michael Perry on 24 October 2001. He was executed by the state of Texas on 1 July 2010.

33. "My brother died a horrible, horrible death," said Gene Langley, 48, of Rocky Mount, N.C. "Christopher, he was a coward. ... He needs to be punished." Gene Langley and six other family members, including John Langley's adult daughter and son, plan to witness Emmett's execution. "It's not going to bring my brother back by no means in this world, but it does not allow him to live and that's what I'm after," Gene Langley said. "He didn't kill one person, he killed five — he killed a brother, he killed a son, he killed an uncle, he killed a father, and he killed a grandfather," he said. - Gene Langley brother of John F. Langley who was murdered by Christopher Scott Emmett on 27 April 2001. He was executed by lethal injection in Virginia on 24 July 2008.

34. "This is the end of a nightmare," Wesley Wuertz said after the execution. "There's no more waiting for the next appeal, no more wondering if a technicality will get him off. Š What he got tonight was justice." - Wesley Wuertz whose family members, Melody Wuertz and Jessica Rae Wuertz was murdered by Jimmie Ray Slaughter on 2 July 1991. Jimmie Ray Slaughter was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on 15 March 2005.

35. Eugene Cummins, father of Cummins and uncle of the deceased sisters, said Wednesday that Gray’s execution would not affect him because his family was already at peace. “I don’t mean to sound callous or uncaring, but Marlin Gray, for example, is to be executed tonight and he has made his own bed and he must lie in it,” he said. “What he did hurt my family years ago, but he no longer has the power to hurt my family.” - Eugene Cummins is the uncle of Julie Kerry and Robin Kerry. They were both murdered by Marlin Gray on 4 April 1991. Marlin Gray was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on 26 October 2005.

36. "It means in this particular case, the system worked, it was thorough," Stephen Dixon, whose mother was killed in the attack, said after watching Richard die. "The person executed deserved what he got." Dixon said he wasn't too concerned with the delays. "I was told to expect such things," he said. "It's been a long 21 years." - Stephen Dixon whose mother was murdered by Michael Wayne Richard on 18 August 1986. He was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 25 September 2007.

37. The Harrison family declined to speak after the execution. But Harrison’s brother-in-law, T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker, attended the execution. “We agree with the sentence wholeheartedly. At this point, we no longer have to worry about Ivey receiving another appeal or hearing to review his case. Now, we can just focus on Tommy and Shaye (Harrison’s late wife) and their memory and Mr. Montgomery,” Walker said. - Richard Walker is the brother-in-law of police officer, Tommy Harrison who was shot dead by Thomas Treshawn Ivey on 15 January 1993. He was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina on 5 August 2009.

38. Immediately after the execution, a family friend of one of the victims, Chris Purdue, said, "Goodnight. I hope he stays in hell forever." Ferguson, a long-time drug user and high-school wrestler — he now weighs 285 pounds — taunted his victims' families at the sentencing phase of his trial two years ago when he said he took satisfaction and pleasure in killing their loved ones. “I will never show any remorse, even on the day I die.” He didn't. - Chris Purdue is the family friend of one of the victims of Darrell Wayne Ferguson’s victims. Darrell Wayne "Gator" Ferguson (January 30, 1978 – August 8, 2006) was a convicted murderer executed by the state of Ohio. At the age of 28, he was the youngest inmate put to death in Ohio since 1962. He spent 2 years and 10 months on death row and had waived all appeals after his 2003 conviction for three counts of aggravated murder. 

39. "I'm feeling relief," she said later, "almost like we held our breath for 12 years and now we can let it out." - Jennifer Morgan is the widow of Fabian Dominguez who was murdered by Johnathan Bryant Moore on 15 January 1995. He was executed by lethal injection in Texas on 17 January 2007.

40. Ricky Paules, the mother at whom Rolling had glanced, said she had one reaction: ``Hatred. Very, very bitter throughout the whole thing. I saw his breath go out of him. . . . We waited for this time. And justice was done.'' With Rolling's death, she said, she could remember only her daughter, Tracy Paules. - Ricky Paules is the mother of Tracy Paules who was murdered by serial killer, Danny Rolling on 27 August 1990. Daniel Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 – October 25, 2006), also known as The Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial killer who murdered five students in Gainesville, Florida. Rolling later confessed to raping several of his victims, committing an additional 1989 triple homicide in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attempting to murder his father in May 1990. In total, Rolling confessed to killing eight people. He was executed by lethal injection in 2006.

"Execute the guilty. Honor the victims. Educate the uninformed."

Pro Death Penalty Resource community

In memory of James bulger and Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed

I read with great interest on the execution of Rashid Al Rashidi, a child killer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday 10 February 2011. I have a great heartfelt sympathy for his four-year-old Pakistani victim, Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed and the boy’s family members. I suddenly recalled the case of James Bulger murdered on 12 February 1993. I noticed some similarities in the murder case of the two boys, it convinced me that Moosa was like the ‘James Bulger’ of the UAE.

           

The two murder cases:

James Bulger: On 12 February 1993, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were playing truant from school, CCTV evidence from the New Strand Shopping Centre in showed them casually observing children, apparently selecting a target. They were also stealing different stuffs. When two year old James Bulger was alone, they lured him to a steep bank to a railway line near the disused Walton & Anfield railway station, close to Anfield Cemetery, where they sexually assaulted him and tortured and beat him to death. Before they left him, the boys laid Bulger across the railway tracks and weighted his head down with rubble, in the hope that a train would hit him and make his death appear to be an accident. After Bulger's killers left the scene, his body was cut in half by a train. Bulger's severed body was discovered two days later, on 14 February. A forensic pathologist testified that he had died before he was struck by the train.

Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed: Moosa was raped and murdered on November 27, 2009, the first day of Eid al Adha. He left the family’s house in Al Qusais 3 in the morning with some friends and relatives, and al Rashidi lured him into the bathroom of a Dubai mosque, promising him an Eid gift. Once inside, he silenced the boy by covering his mouth, then raped him. He banged the boy’s head against a wall, then fled, leaving the child for dead. Two witnesses had earlier saw Al Rashidi picked up Moosa and dragged him, they saw Moosa kicking and screaming into the mosque washroom. Witnesses assumed that Moosa was Al Rashidi’s child simply unhappy about attending services.

Arrest and Evidence:

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson: The police quickly found low-resolution video images of Bulger's abduction from the New Strand Shopping Centre by two unidentified boys.  As the circumstances surrounding the death became clear, tabloid newspapers denounced the people who had seen Bulger but had not intervened to aid Bulger as he was being taken through the city, as the "Liverpool 38". The railway embankment upon which his body had been discovered was flooded with hundreds of bunches of flowers.

The crime created great anger in Liverpool and throughout the country. The family of one boy who was detained for questioning, but subsequently released, had to flee the city. The breakthrough came when a woman, on seeing slightly enhanced images of the two boys on national television, recognised Venables, who, she knew, had played truant with Thompson that day. She contacted police and the boys were arrested.

The fact that the suspects were so young came as a shock to investigating officers, headed by Detective Superintendent Albert Kirby, of Merseyside Police. Early press reports and police statements had referred to Bulger being seen with "two youths" (suggesting that the killers were teenagers), the ages of the boys being difficult to ascertain from the images captured by CCTV.

Forensic tests confirmed that both boys had the same blue paint on their clothing as found on Bulger's body. Both had blood on their shoes; the blood on Thompson's shoe was matched to Bulger's through DNA tests. A pattern of bruising on Bulger's right cheek matched the features of the upper part of a shoe worn by Thompson; a paint mark in the toecap of one of Venables' shoes indicated he must have used "some force" when he kicked Bulger.

The boys were charged with Bulger's murder on 20 February 1993, and appeared at South Sefton Youth Court on 22 February 1993, when they were remanded in custody to await trial. In the aftermath of their arrest, and throughout the media accounts of their trial, the boys were referred to as 'Child A' (Thompson) and 'Child B' (Venables). While awaiting trial, they were held in the secure units where they would eventually be sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Rashid Al Rashidi: He was arrested the next day on 28 November 2009, when his fingerprints were found to match those from the crime scene. Al Rashidi had a criminal record, which included molesting an eight-year-old boy, for which he served a prison sentence. When he killed Moosa he had been recently released from prison on separate sex assault charges.

The Trials:

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson: The two boys, by then aged 11, were found guilty of Bulger's murder at the Preston court on 24 November 1993, becoming the youngest convicted murderers of the 20th century.  The judge, Mr. Justice Morland, told Thompson and Venables that they had committed a crime of "unparalleled evil and barbarity... In my judgment, your conduct was both cunning and very wicked." Morland sentenced them to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure, with a recommendation that they should be kept in custody for "very, very many years to come", recommending a minimum term of eight years.

These aspects were later criticised by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in 1999 that they had not received a fair trial by being tried in public in an adult court.

Rashid Al Rashidi:

- November 27, 2009: Rashid al Rashidi, 30, lures Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, four, into a mosque toilet, rapes him and kills him.

- November 28, 2009: Al Rashidi is arrested after fingerprints from the crime scene are matched to him.

- December 8, 2009: Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for al Rashidi if he is convicted.

- December 2009: Hamed al Khazraji, a court-appointed attorney, refuses to represent al Rashidi.

- January 2010: Abdullah al Midrib and his father, Abdel Rahman al Midrib, appointed to represent him.

- February 14, 2010: Mohammed al Saadi takes over the defence.

- January 29, 2010: al Rashidi is found guilty in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance and sentenced to death.

- April 1, 2010: The Court of Appeal upholds the conviction and sentence.

- June 7, 2010: al Rashidi loses his last appeal at the Court of Cassation

- February 10, 2011: al Rashidi is executed by firing squad.

Post-trial:

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson: Shortly after the trial, and after the judge had recommended a minimum sentence of eight years, Lord Taylor of Gosforth, the Lord Chief Justice, ordered that the two boys should serve a minimum of ten years, which would have made them eligible for release in February 2003 at the age of 20.

            The editors of The Sun newspaper handed a petition bearing nearly 280,000 signatures to Home Secretary Michael Howard, in a bid to increase the time spent by both boys in custody.  This campaign was successful, and in July 1994 Howard announced that the boys would be kept in custody for a minimum of fifteen years, meaning that they would not be considered for release until February 2008, by which time they would be 25 years of age.

Lord Donaldson criticised Howard's intervention, describing the increased tariff as "institutionalised vengeance ... [by] a politician playing to the gallery". The increased minimum term was overturned in 1997 by the House of Lords, who ruled that it was “unlawful" for the Home Secretary to decide on minimum sentences for young offenders. The High Court and European Court of Human Rights have since ruled that, though the parliament may set minimum and maximum terms for individual categories of crime, it is the responsibility of the trial judge, with the benefit of all the evidence and argument from both prosecution and defence counsel, to determine the minimum term in individual criminal cases.

In 1999, lawyers for Thompson and Venables appealed to the European Court of Human Rights that the boys' trial had not been impartial, since they were too young to follow proceedings and understand an adult court. The European court dismissed their claim that the trial was inhuman and degrading treatment, but upheld their claim they were denied a fair hearing by the nature of the court proceedings.  The European Court also held that Michael Howard's intervention had led to a "highly charged atmosphere", which resulted in an unfair judgment. On 15 March 1999, the court in Strasbourg ruled by 14 votes to five that there had been a violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_6_of_the_European_Convention_on_Human_Rights) regarding the fairness of the trial of Thompson and Venables, stating: "The public trial process in an adult court must be regarded in the case of an 11-year-old child as a severely intimidating procedure".

The following March, British newspaper The Observer ran the announcement by Jack Straw, Britain's Home Secretary, that Thompson and Venables would be freed by 2003. Straw's decision was based on the European Court of Human Rights ruling that Michael Howard, Home Secretary at the time of the boys sentencing, had "acted illegally when fixing a 15-year sentence for them."

According to the report filed on March 12, 2000, the Home Secretary "had the option of referring the case to the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham, for a full review, because of the long-standing confusion over serious child crimes and the open-ended sentences imposed."

Also detailed were two other options: "to accept the original sentence of eight years set by the trial judge, Mr. Justice Morland, which would have meant the boys walking free next year [2001], or the 10-year tariff imposed later by the then Lord Chief Justice after a campaign by James Bulger's parents. He opted for the latter."

The Observer also suggested that the decision could have far-reaching consequences as it could mean future cases of a similar nature would not be tried in an adult court.

In September 1999, Bulger's parents applied to the European Court of Human Rights, but failed to persuade the court that a victim of a crime has the right to be involved in determining the sentence of the perpetrator.

On Thursday October 26, 2000, the Guardian reported that Lord Woolf, the British lord chief justice, had cut the minimum sentences of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables "effectively granting them their freedom early next year [2001] subject to a parole board decision."

According to the report, Lord Woolf said: "Because of their behaviour they are entitled to a reduction in the tariff (the minimum term for punishment and deterrence) to eight years, which happens to be the figure determined by the trial judge.

"An eight-year tariff would expire on the 21st February 2001. I have already pointed out that it would not be in their or the public's interest for these two young men to be transferred to a young offenders institution."

He added, "However grave their crime, the fact remains that if that crime had been committed a few months earlier, when they were under 10, the boys could not have been tried or punished by the courts."

On Tuesday November 14, 2000, the Guardian followed up with a report that described how Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were at "real risk of reprisals which could threaten their lives if their whereabouts and new identities are revealed" and applied for "unprecedented lifetime injunctions preventing the media from disclosing information which would identify them."

Rashid Al Rashidi: For Al Rashidi, there was no post-trial, justice was served. Hooded, dressed in a black prison suit and with his arms tied behind his back, al Rashidi was driven the short distance to a nearby patch of land, normally used by police officers for shooting practice.

Though obviously terrified, witnesses say he remained quiet and did not faint, keeping to his feet as he was led to the spot where he was to be shot. There, he asked to be allowed to kneel in prayer one last time; his wish was granted before he was tied to a stake in front of the firing squad.

On Thursday 10 February 2011 at about 8.30am, with all appeal processes exhausted, al Rashidi faced a nine-man firing squad under the command of Dubai's Attorney General, Essam al Humaidan, whose duty it was to give the order to carry out the sentence of death. At least one of the men was holding a rifle loaded with a blank shot - the so-called "conscience round", designed to prevent any member of a firing squad knowing for sure that he has fired the fatal bullet.

The volley rang out at 8.35am and al Rashidi slumped forward, apparently lifeless. Moosa's father was allowed close to the body to see for himself that justice had been done and then a doctor stepped forward to confirm that al Rashidi was dead. It was 8.37am.

"Now," said Mr Ahmed, "my heart is at ease."

Families beware: There are some lessons to be learn here. If you are a parent with a young child, never leave them alone when you go out with them. Always stick with them and watch them closely. Moosa’s father said, “My wife was two months pregnant at the time of the murder, and had a miscarriage because of the grief. Now my wife stands at the school gate until Mustafa (his current son) reaches the bus and calls the school throughout the day to check if he is fine. When he returns, we make sure someone is there to get him.”

Victims’ families reaction:

James Bulger’s families: On Tuesday November 14, 2000, the Guardian followed up with a report that described how Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were at "real risk of reprisals which could threaten their lives if their whereabouts and new identities are revealed" and applied for "unprecedented lifetime injunctions preventing the media from disclosing information which would identify them."

Their applications were based on comments by Ralph Bulger, James's father, who had vowed to "hunt his son's killers down." Edward Fitzgerald QC, council for Venables stated, "taken in context, it is abundantly clear what he intends to do when he hunts them down." They also cited a "declared intention by the media to 'out' the pair."

In answer, Ralph Bulger told reporters: "James had the right to live, the right to grow old, to love and be loved and to have children of his own. But they took his rights away from him and so they should have no rights at all, never mind the right to privacy or the right to hide away."

The injunction was sought under the Human Rights Act, which came into force in October 2000 and, according to Fitzgerald, "was justified to protect their right to life and to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, which could be threatened by revenge attacks."

He also asked that the injunction "ban anyone publishing anything about the boys' whereabouts or their assumed identities when they are released. Disclosure of that information would expose him (Venables) and his co-detainee to serious physical risk and serious psychological fear and the likelihood of harassment. It is necessary to protect his right to life and freedom from persecution."

The Guardian also reported that the application "was backed by the attorney general, in his role as guardian of the public interest. The home secretary and the official solicitor also support the application for a media ban, which is opposed by three newspaper groups."

The report described the president of the high court's family division, Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, as saying "she hoped to decide before Christmas [2000] whether to grant the ban."

Four days later, James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus held a press conference and told reporters that "I feel let down and betrayed by the system. The only shred of hope I have is that Dame Elizabeth turns down the application for Robert Thompson and Jon Venables to be given anonymity for the rest of their lives. As children one can understand them being given some protection but what right have they got to be given special treatment as adults as well?"

"For seven years the system persuaded me to rely on the criminal justice procedures and to remain silent although all this time I feared the worst.

"Venables and Thompson have dragged me, my family, and the name of James through every court possible in this country and Europe for which unlimited funds have been made available to them. This is in complete contrast to the help made available to victims of crime. The European court of human rights has become a friend of criminals and enemy of their victims".

In January, 2001, the injunction application was approved and Venables and Thompson were granted a lifetime of immunity from exposure, to "protect them as they adjust to life outside."

On Friday June 22, 2001, the British home secretary, David Blunkett, confirmed that the parole board had approved the release of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. In a special report published the same day, the Guardian reported the story including the furor that greeted the announcement.

In a statement to the press, Norman Brennan, a spokesman for Denise Fergus said:

"Denise is absolutely devastated and stunned. There has to be a punishment element for such a crime but all Denise sees is Venables and Thompson being rewarded. It has never been about revenge, it's just about a justice denied. Denise points the finger directly at the lord chief justice, Lord Woolf, as being the head of the liberal elite, who has basically sent a message that crime pays.

Venables and Thompson are being released back to their families, who themselves could only dream of the living conditions they will now enjoy. If they had given their children love and support, as they should have done nine years ago, James would never have been murdered."

Former home secretary, Michael Howard also stated: "I very much regret this decision. It may well be that the parole board had no alternative but I think Lord Woolf was wrong to decide that eight years was sufficient time for Thompson and Venables to spend in custody in the light of the uniquely dreadful circumstances of their crime."

The next day the Guardian followed up with a report that the safety of Venables and Thompson was already in doubt after the Manchester Evening News "appeared to have breached the injunction banning information which might identify their whereabouts." The report also reported the attorney general reiterating the high court injunction and was considering contempt proceedings against the paper.

The following week the Guardian ran a story quoting Denise Fergus as saying: "No matter where they go, someone out there is waiting."

A week later in her first TV interview since the decision to release her son's killers, Denise Fergus told ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald that she was "frightened an innocent person might be mistaken for his killers. Right now I think they are still dangerous, and the saying goes 'once a murderer always a murderer'. I'm not going to hunt them down, try and kill them, but if it happens then I can't stop it. If you opened a paper or heard on the news someone had attacked them - I wouldn't feel sorry for them.

"What I'm frightened of is someone innocent getting mistaken for them and I do fear that. Now I don't want anyone else under mistaken identity to be hurt or worse. So what I'd say is be sure. Don't think or assume, be sure."

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/young/bulger/10.html

Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed’s family: According to execution procedures, the families of convicts on death row can visit them during their imprisonment and on the day of execution, but they are not allowed to witness the execution itself. The victim’s families, however, may be allowed to witness it. Representatives from the prosecution, Dubai Police, the director of the correctional facility and a physician must be present when the sentence is carried out. The death warrant must be read aloud by the director of the correctional establishment or one of his nominees. A prosecution representative will document any last words said by the convict, and the time of death. The firing squad consists of nine men, who go to an undisclosed location. At least one is given a rifle loaded with a blank cartridge, so none of them knows who fired the fatal shot.

The family of the victim, Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, have been told the execution will take place today but will not be allowed to witness it, the official said.

They will be called after the sentence has been carried out and forensics experts had examined the body to confirm al Rashidi’s death. They will then be allowed to view the body, he said.

“Moosa’s mother and I want to see him die,” Moosa’s father, Mukhtiar Ahmed Khudabaksh, 32, said yesterday. “We will be relieved when we see him executed for what he did to our child.”

Mr Khudabaksh, who has worked for the Dubai Police as a tailor since last September, said: “Once I hear the gunfire, I will kneel on the ground and bow to God twice in prayer.”

“I want to see him die with my own eyes,” Moosa’s mother said, “The killer should be executed in public as a lesson to other criminals”, she said, “and the family will go early to the prison today and ask to be allowed in.”

"My child has finally got justice. The justice he deserved," father of Mousa, the four-year-old schoolboy who was raped and murdered in a mosque on Eid Al Adha two years ago, told Gulf News.

"We are really happy and relieved that justice has been served."

The tearful father, Mukhtiar Ahmad Khuda Buksh, was speaking shortly after the execution of the 31-year-old Emirati, Rashid Al Rashidi, following his conviction for the brutal killing.

The Pakistani family of four — Mousa's parents and siblings Mustafa and Mariam — have been under tremendous stress in the two years since learning about the brutal incident to holding themselves up through the trials.

"But the authorities including the police and the judiciary have been utmost supportive and understanding," the father said.

"I am just a poor man. But the fact that I got justice and in such a fast manner is laudable," he said repeatedly thanking the officials.

"The way we got justice here, probably we wouldn't have got even in my own country (Pakistan)."

Also the compassion with which we were treated by people here, he added.

Earlier, he used to work in a private company as a driver. Recently he was offered a job with Dubai Police and now works for them. "Every day I have been going to the same mosque for prayer five times a day. Now my prayers have been heard."

The family said that they would never have accepted blood money to deter capital punishment. "When I die and I meet my son in heaven, how could I face him if I did?"

His wife has been struggling hard to cope with the loss of her son, he said, calling on all parents to never let their children out of sight.

Sitting beside her husband, Mousa's mother Jamala Khatoun said she wished to thank all those who helped them. "My prayers are with you all."

Fair and unfair court system:

            If you read above, the European Court of Human Rights are friends to criminals and not victims, they are the reason why the European victims of crimes have no justice and suffer a lot. Unlike those courts in Dubai, a U.A.E judge said "The death penalty for murder is the original sentence - a judge cannot ignore it," said the official, who did not wish to be named.

"Murder is an issue that has to do with the victim's family, and it is not up to the judge to rule against it unless the family accepts diyya [blood money] or forgives the killer.

"If we do not sentence a killer to death, the victim's family will seek revenge, and that would cause a problem in our society."

As for executing minors, he said, Sharia clearly states when a person becomes an adult.

"The point is to determine when a person is an adult - when he or she can decide what is wrong and what is right," he said.

          If I were a victim’s family member, I rather that the killer of my loved one be tried in the Dubai court than in the European Court of Human Rights. I am extremely happy that Moosa’s family had received the justice, I do remember James Bulger’s family in prayer and hope that we will all do. I feel that the European Union needs to be abolished, so that those innocent victims in UK (and even in Europe) can have justice. Once the EU is abolished, countries have the right to their own laws. The reason why those European judicial system are against capital punishment is because they want to protect criminals, not victims. The death penalty brings justice to the victim and the family, ask the family members of Moosa and they will agree to that.