International   

"Reformed" gangster executed in U.S.

Washington: Convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams was executed on Tuesday at a Californian penitentiary with the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to step in to save the gangster-turned-anti-violence activist who was at the centre of a high-pitch campaign against capital punishment in the country. Williams was given a lethal injection at the State prison as frenzied attempts by his supporters to reopen the case failed. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had rejected a clemency petition of the 51-year-old saying for a person who claimed redemption, he had not shown remorse or even apologised for the 1979 killing of four persons. Willaim's supporters, who included many celebrities, contended that he should be spared as he had used his time in prison to write a series of books warning youngsters against violence and gangs. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Britain permitted CIA flights, admits Straw
Woman rescued two months after quake
Policemen injured in Sri Lanka blast
Quake located deep under earth's surface
A leap for the `barefoot' graduates
Mice with human brain cells
Suspended sentence for mercy killing
"Reformed" gangster executed in U.S.
Lebanese Editor's murder condemned
Manmohan discusses nuclear cooperation with Koizumi, Roh
World Trade Organisation talks begin amid huge protests
India forms core group on non-agricultural market access
English is your asset, says Koizumi

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu