Fourth execution in the USA: Stanko makes his choice

Fourth execution in the USA: Stanko makes his choice

This week several executions in the USA are causing a sensation. A total of four men who were convicted of murder have lost their lives in the past few days. A particularly serious case is that of Stephen Stanko, a 57-year-old who was executed in South Carolina on Friday. Stanko was charged with the murder of his friend Henry Turner (74 years old) and his partner Laura Ling (43 years old) in 2005.

Execution took place through an injection in the Columbia prison. Stanko had the choice between different forms of execution, but chose the fatal injection. This decision is important in the current context, because in total there have been 23 executions in the United States since the beginning of the year. The majority of these executions took place by injection, followed by three cases in which nitrogen inhalation was used as a method and two executions carried out by a shooting squad. The latter was a method that was last used in the United States in 2010.

The current statistics

A look at the statistics shows that a significant number of death penalty has been imposed in the United States since 1976. The state of Texas leads the list with 586 executions, followed by Oklahoma with 123 and Virginia with 113. Also in 2023 there was an increase in enforcements, with a total of 24 executions, which has marked the highest level since 2018. Compared to 1,150 death judgments imposed worldwide, the exact numbers are often concealed, the United States show a special position because it is the only liberal democracy that uses the death penalty. The most common methodology is the poison injection, which, however, does not always guarantee painless death.

This year there are already 23 executions, with the majority, 18, through injection. In Alabama and Louisiana, three executions were carried out by nitrogen inhalation, and two more through the shooting command in South Carolina. This development raises questions about the humanitarian and legal legitimacy of the death penalty.

public opinion

The public attitude towards the death penalty in the USA is divided, but a survey from October 2023 shows that 53 percent of the citizens advocate the death penalty for convicted murderers. Despite a slight tendency to accept in the consent, the death penalty remains a explosive topic. In Germany, on the other hand, the population has a clear attitude: around two thirds reject the death penalty. Only 17 percent speak out for this, with a majority of 43 percent among the AfD supporters.

The continuous use of the death penalty in the USA is therefore in the area of ​​tension between legal practicality and moral concerns. Would it be time to think about a fundamental reform? The debate about the death penalty will certainly remain a hotly discussed topic in the future.

24heures reports that in addition to the ongoing executions, there was already an abolition of the death crayons or the procedure is exposed. The methodology and the number of executions show a complex picture in a society that deals with the question of justice.

For detailed information on the executions in the USA you can also use the data on peinedemort.org and Statista.com