Dear John Gardner, what does "Thou shalt not kill" mean to you now?
31 year old John Gardner III, who was assumed to be the killer of 17 year old Chelsea King, and possibly 14 year old Amber Dubois, has pled "Guilty" to murdering both girls in the San Diego area. John Gardner is expected to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole, but what will his punishment be?
His plea prevents him from filing an appeal, yet it also prevents him from receiving the death penalty. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 1st, 2010.
It is possible that he could get two life sentences, plus an additional 33 years for assaulting a woman in December. But those extra years are rather pointless. A person can only serve one life sentence without parole. He can not die of old age then come back for additional punishments.
Chelsea King was murdered Feb. 25th and John Gardner admits he is the one who attacked her. He took her to a secluded area. He raped her. He strangled her. He killed her. Then he tried to cover up his crime by buring her lifeless body.
He also admits to killing Amber Dubois. He raped her. He stabbed her. He killed her. Then he tried to cover up his crime by burying her lifeless body.
Same crime. Same punishment. But is that fair when the punishment for one can never really be served? How does that make sense?
This issue was addressed in another article entitled "What punishment should Amber Dubois and Chelsea King's killer(s) receive? Vote in Poll" If you never voted, please do. There are only two options given, but neither choice includes him sitting in jail while we the tax-payers foot the bill.
John Gardner had no problem taking these girl's lives - now he's willing to bargain in order to save his own life, even it means admitting he is guilty. I suppose that is how it will be on judgement day. A lot of bargaining with God, but at that point it will be too late. The time to repent and live right is now.
Comments
Though John Albert Gardner is apparently avoiding the "death penalty" - as you said, at the expense of tax-payers - in many respects "death" would have been an easy way out. Now he has, however long the Lord gives him, to sit in a cell and live with what he's done. My guess is he will probably have ample time to "repent". We should, however, turn our attention to the victim's families, what they may need, and what society can do to keep this from happening again; and less focus on Gardner.
good points A.C.
Let him repent in the chair. If you decide you want to pay for his life long term in prision, you do it, and dont tell me I have to pay even a penny to keep him in prision.
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