• Newsletter Signup
  • Interested Authors
  • Blog/Content
    • Author Reports
      • On The Trail Of Ted Bundy
      • Bradley Nickell Q&A With a Sin City Cop
      • From Russia With Love
      • eZine
        • Sign Up For The WildBlue Press eZine
  • Events / Media
    • Special Events
    • Upcoming Media Appearances
    • Media Appearances Archive
  • About Us
    • Catalog
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Partners
    • MacGregor Literary
    • ImaginePublicity
    • The House Of Mystery With Host Al Warren
  • Contact Us
    • For Interested Authors
    • Participate in Focus Groups
    • Employment

WildBlue Press

Great Reads from Exceptional Authors

Great Reads from
Exceptional Authors

  • Home
  • Our Books
    • By Genre
      • Business
      • History
      • Mystery
      • Sci-Fi/Fantasy
      • Thrillers
      • True Crime
    • Box Sets
    • Award Winners
    • Coming Soon
    • Featured Books
    • New Releases
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Interested Authors
  • Partners
    • Imagine Publicity
    • MacGregor Literary
    • The House Of Mystery With Al Warren
  • About Us
    • Catalog
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

True Crime Author Steve Jackson Discusses Death Penalty From Epilogue Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER

New York Times Bestselling Author Weighs Pros and Cons In Book About “The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality”

An Excerpt From The Epilogue of A CLOCKWORK MURDER:

Steven Jackson True Crime Author

New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson

I personally am not a fan of the death penalty in its present form. I have several reasons for that:

–Prosecutors who file death penalty papers in order to coerce a defendant into accepting a lesser plea. As noted in my colleague John Ferak’s wonderful book, Failure of Justice, five innocent people pleaded guilty and served more than twenty years in prison after being threatened with the death penalty;

–Too many innocent people have been convicted, including some who have been executed or are currently on death row. In my opinion, the bar needs to be higher. The death penalty should be an option ONLY when guilt of having committed the crime has been established beyond any and all doubt, not just reasonable doubt, and that the murder(s) was premeditated. The lawyers can argue over whether  defendants are insane and therefore criminally responsible for their actions, as well as the usual weighing of aggravators and mitigators. But there should be no doubt that the defendant killed the victim.

–The system takes too long and costs too much money. Most death penalty cases go on long after a jury has rendered its verdict and the sentence is handed down. Years and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars are spent on appeals. Victims’ families are put through the wringer time after time, in part under the defense theory of wearing them down and trying to co-opt an agreement for a life sentence. There should be one appeal, before an appeals court, a trial of the trial after which the decision of the appeals court is final. And if execution is the sentence, it should be carried out quickly.

A Clockwork Murder

A CLOCKWORK MURDER: The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality

I do think that the immediate family of the victims should have a say in whether or not the death penalty should be sought. There are some whose faith teaches them forgiveness, or who believe that taking another life is not the justice they seek, or they simply don’t want to go through the years of appeals and hearings. If they don’t want the death penalty option to be pursued, it should not be. However, others, such as the parents of Jacine Gielinski, the victim in A CLOCKWORK MURDER, wanted the death penalty as what they believed was justice for the murder of their daughter. Their wishes should be considered, too.

Other than those caveats I have no qualms with a killer being executed. By taking a life, killers who have committed premeditated murder with aggravating factors—such as being carried out in a particularly cruel and heinous manner—have forfeited their lives.

I’ve heard all the “life in prison is a worse punishment” arguments. Maybe for some, especially first-timers or those who had good lives on the outside. But the truth of the matter is that many people who are committed to prison become “institutionalized.” Prison is home. They get warm, clean accommodations, three meals, and color television. It’s where their friends are and other friends and family can visit them. One reason so many offenders get out of prison and commit other crimes right away is they are simply more comfortable and happy in prison than out.

Smooth Talker True Crime by Steve Jackson

Smooth Talker: Trail of Death is the story of serial killer Roy Melanson and the detectives who brought him to justice

Anti-death penalty advocates will argue that it isn’t a deterrent, and that life in prison without parole protects others and the community just as effectively. Well, that’s simply not true. Inside a prison, those who have nothing left to lose are more likely to take the life of other inmates or prison personnel. What are you going to do to a lifer? Add more years?

And life without parole does not always mean life without parole. In my book, SMOOTH TALKER, I wrote about how serial killer Roy Melanson was released from prison just twelve years after receiving a life without parole sentence, and prison authorities aware that he was a suspect in the murder of at least one woman, Michele Wallace. He then killed two, and probably more, other women after his release.

Parole boards change. The definition of what “life in prison” changes. Mistakes happen and prisoners get released. Or dangerous individuals are placed in situations—such as reduced security prisons, like the one Melanson is currently housed in—and they escape. The death penalty is the only sure way of keeping a murderer from killing again.

Bogeyman book cover

BOGEYMAN: He Was Every Parent’s Nightmare about serial child-killer David Penton was released in August 2014

Those opposed to the death penalty argue that there’s no proof that the death penalty is a “deterrent,” the thought of which might cause someone to reconsider killing another. My answer to that is we can’t know that because in reality the death penalty is not a “real” threat even to those condemned. In many states, inmates spend decades in prison as their cases wind through the appeals process. No one has been executed in Colorado since Gary Davis in 1997 and that took eleven years from crime to punishment. The only way to ascertain that would be if carrying out the death penalty was a quick and sure as the crime that was committed.

I do know that at least some killers fear the death penalty. In my book, BOGEYMAN, serial child killer David Penton, already serving a life sentence in Ohio, pleaded guilty to the murder of three more little girls in Texas on the condition that he not be transferred from Ohio to Texas, where the death penalty is carried out. In that case, the threat of the death penalty resolved three cases for the families involved. And George Woldt, one of the killers in A CLOCKWORK MURDER wept and begged for his life at his sentencing.

And lastly, there’s the argument that society should not be “punishing” criminals for their behavior and that prison should be all about rehabilitation. No eye for an eye, or life for a life. That’s a bunch of hooey. Of course society has the right to punish a criminal, particularly someone convicted of murder—the one crime that can’t be “taken back.”

As just about every society since the beginning of time has known, it can be cathartic to know that a monster has been cast from the circle of humanity. His or her name forgotten instead of a reminder every parole hearing and anniversary of a murder, and the money spent keeping a killer alive ended. And that’s just the community.

Every Christmas, every birthday, families and friends of murder victims are reminded that the killer of their loved ones gets to share the occasion with families and friends, even if it’s in a prison visiting room or over the telephone. The families of killers can hear their voice, talk to them about daily events, and even get a hug at the end of a visit. What do you think Peggy Luiszer would have given to be able to hold her child or tell her she loved her one more time? That’s a privilege killers get that their victims do not.

Filed Under: A CLOCKWORK MURDER, Blog, Steve Jackson, True Crime Tagged With: A Clockwork Murder, best true crime books, Bogeyman, California, Cold Case, Colorado, David Penton, death penalty, Detective, Detectives, Facebook True Crime, George Woldt, Louisiana, Lucas Salmon, Murder, NecroSearch International, Non-Fiction, Roy Melanson, Serial Killer, Serial Killers, Smooth Talker, Steve Jackson, Texas, True Crime, True Crime Authors, true crime book, true crime books, True Crime Discussions, true crimes, True Murder, True-crime, truecrime
April 6, 2017 By Steve Jackson Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

A CLOCKWORK MURDER by Steve Jackson

Buy A CLOCKWORK MURDER now:
A Clockwork Murder: The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became A Demented Reality Star Ratings
     Kindle $ 12.99   978-1-942266-24-2
     Audible $ 19.95   
     iTunes $ 17.95   
     Trade Pbk $ 10.99   978-1-942266-25-9

INTERNATIONAL KINDLE SALES

USA  UK  Canada  Australia  Germany  France  Spain  Japan  Italy  Brazil  India  Mexico


AUDIO BOOK
Get this Title for FREE at Audible with a free trialGet this Title for FREE at Audible with a 30-day free trial

Listen To An Audiobook Sample Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER!

Posts by Steve Jackson

Audiobook Offer

Audiobook Offer

Start 2021 off right by reading more and learning more with free audiobooks!   ***For a limited time only Browse by genre and select the cover to get more information and your free copy! Non-Fiction True Crime Business … [Read More...]

Holiday 2020 Audiobook Giveaway, get free audiobooks

Holiday 2020 Audiobook Giveaway

We know how hard 2020 has been. To help you end the year on a better note, we wanted to give you the gift of free audiobooks! Hence, the Holiday 2020 Audiobook Giveaway! You're probably thinking of gifts for others right now, like we always do during … [Read More...]

WildBlue Press Books by Steve Jackson

New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Brings Readers Another True Crime Classic With NO ANGELS

A little before midnight on May 30, 1997, fourteen-year-old Brandy DuVall waited at a bus stop in the Denver area for a ride back to her grandparents' home after spending the evening at a friend’s home. She was wearing a bright-red Chicago Bulls … [Read More...]

Steve Jackson’s New York Times Bestseller MONSTER

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUDIOBOOK FORMAT! On a snowy winter evening in 1982, twenty-one-year-old Mary Brown accepted a ride from a handsome stranger in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado. The trip ended with her brutally beaten and raped. … [Read More...]

SAVING ANNIE Part 1 Kindle Cover

Was It An Accident? Or Was She Pushed? Read ‘SAVING ANNIE’ From New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson

Book 3 Pre-Order Coming Soon! In March 2009, pretty, vivacious Rhonda Casto plunged to her death from a 300-foot cliff in the Oregon woods. The only witness, Stephen Nichols, the father of her nine-month-old baby, Annie, told police investigators … [Read More...]

A Clockwork Murder

New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Explores An Unthinkable Crime In A CLOCKWORK MURDER

The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality They thought about their evil fantasy for months. Then, wound up like clockwork toys ... they acted. In April 1997, pretty, 22-year-old Jacine Gielinski stopped her car at a red light in … [Read More...]

Rough Trade Cover

ROUGH TRADE By New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Explores Tale of Prostitution, Murder and Redemption

From Jackson's Classic True Crime Library ROUGH TRADE NOW AVAILABLE IN eBOOK, PRINT, AND AUDIO BOOK! Early one morning in May 1997, a young couple on their way to work in the mountains of Colorado spotted what looked like a man dragging a body up … [Read More...]

Smooth Talker True Crime by Steve Jackson

Smooth Talking Serial Killer Subject Of New True Crime By NYT Bestseller Steve Jackson

The body of Anita Andrews, the owner and bartender at Fagiani’s Cocktail Lounge in Napa, California was found in her bar ...  ... raped, beaten, and stabbed to death in a bloody frenzy. She’d last been seen alive the night before talking to a … [Read More...]

No Stone Unturned crime author

Steve Jackson Releases True Crime Classic NO STONE UNTURNED eBook, Audiobook

The Captivating "True Story Of The World's Premier Forensic Investigators" at NecroSearch International Updated and Revised! Now Available for the First Time As Kindle eBook, Audible and iTunes Editions! "A fascinating journey into the trenches of … [Read More...]

Bogeyman by Steve Jackson - True Crime

Steve Jackson Writes A True Crime About Every Parent’s Nightmare In BOGEYMAN

New York Times Bestselling Author Pens A True Horror Story About A Real-life Monster include "https://wildbluepress.com/wp-content/themes/magazine-pro/wbp-maincontentsalesbuttons.php?title=bogeyman"; BOGEYMAN: He Was Every Parent's Nightmare. The … [Read More...]

Genres, Types

New Releases
Featured Books
Coming Soon
Award Winners

Business
History
Horror
Mysteries
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thrillers
True Crime

eBooks
Paperbacks
Audio Books
Box Sets

Available

Cookbook
• Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits
True Crime
• Satin Pumps
• Out Of The Mouths Of Serial Killers
• True Crime Chronicles Volume Two
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Three
• The Enigma Of Ted Bundy
• True Crime Chronicles Volume One
• Killing Women
• From The Mob To The Movies
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Two
• To Kill Or Be Killed
• No Angels
• Monster
• Under A Full Moon
• 'til Death Do Us ...'
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers
• First Degree Rage
• The 'supreme Gentleman' Killer
• Beast Of New Castle
• The Garden State Parkway Murders
• How Now, Butterfly?
• The Encyclopedia Of The Ted Bundy Murders
• Survival
• Missing ... And Presumed Dead
• Wrong Numbers
• Tantamount
• Playing Dead
• Mothers And Murderers
• Dead Reckoning
• Underworld
• Gabacho
• The Gangster's Cousin
• Race To Justice
• Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries
• Travesty Of Justice
• Railroaded
• You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan
• A Family Business
• Pathological
• Wrecking Crew
• The Last Man Standing
• My Son, The Killer
• Saving Annie Book 2
• Inconvenience Gone
• Toxic Rage
• The Killing Game
• Shots In The Dark
• Saving Annie
• The Case Of The Golden State Killer
• His Garden
• The Crate
• Burned
• The Case Of The Zodiac Killer
• A Murder In My Hometown
• Bullied To Death
• The Beast I Loved
• Summary Execution
• The Shawcross Letters
• Better Off Dead
• Sidetracked
• My Brother's Keeper
• Targeted
• Held Hostage
• Room 1203
• A Special Kind Of Evil
• Brooklyn's Most Wanted
• Outlaw Los Angeles
• Unsolved No More
• She Is Evil
• The Rise And Fall Of A Casino Mobster
• Outlaw Southwest
• A Clockwork Murder
• Raw Deal
• The Bundy Secrets
• Betrayal In Blue
• The Politics Of Murder
• Murderers Row
• Rough Trade
• Daddy's Little Secret
• Murder In The Family
• Failure Of Justice
• Ice And Bone
• Smooth Talker
• The Trail Of Ted Bundy
• A Taste For Murder
• Sketchcop
• Body Of Proof
• Kentucky Bloodbath
• No Stone Unturned
• Repeat Offender
• Dixie's Last Stand
• Vampire
• Man Overboard
• Bogeyman
Thriller
• No One Will Hear Your Screams
• The Screaming Room
• Bone Thief
• Crux
• Sword Of The Caliphate
• Last Son Of The War God
• Leviathan
• The Strait
• Enemy Of The People
• Cain
• Dark Visions
• Hunter
• The Reckoning
• Hard Dog To Kill
• 16 Souls
• Borderland
• Paper Wings
• Lockout
• The Pure And The Hated
• Savage Highway
• Pitfall
Mystery
• Raven's Ridge
• Raptor's Ridge
• Napa Noir
• Melia Ridge
• Emerald Ridge
• Beacon Hill
• Northern Ex
• Created
• Crevice
• Headlock
• Identity Crisis
• The Obituary
• Naked Addiction
• The Deadline
Horror
• Four
• Acadia Event
• The Red Son
• The Equinox
• Highwayman
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Happenstance
• Destruction Of Justice
• Blunt Force Magic
Business
• Leaderology
• The Age Of Pluralism
• Bamboo Strong
• Corporate Superpower
• Wordpress Websites For Business
• Productivity Tools For Business
History
• Legion Rising
• The Korean Crisis
• Tempest Tost
• Saving Sandoval
• Killing Rasputin
Politics
• The (Redacted) Mueller Report
Romance
• When Fall Fades

New Releases

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF SERIAL KILLERS

Why Do Serial Killers Kill? Find Out In OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SERIAL KILLERS

WHY DO SERIAL KILLERS KILL? OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SERIAL KILLERS​ is as close as you will ever come to discovering the answer ... and in the killer’s own words! In this one-of-a-kind book, author Mary Brett corresponded with some of America’s … [More...]

True Crime Chronicles Volume Two

TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES: Volume Two Is Out! Classic Journalism With Commentary by New York Times Bestselling Author Mike Rothmiller

What do Wyatt Earp, Belle Gunness, Big Foot the Renegade, Billy the Kid, and Dr. H.H. Holmes, and The Black Hand have in common? They were all subjects of true crime newspaper reporting in the 1800s, and now these stories and that of many others … [More...]

“Frank Swaps His Gun And Fedora For An Apron And Chef’s Hat” To Bring You FRANK CULLOTTA’S GREATEST (KITCHEN) HITS

INCLUDES OVER 40 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS! Frank Cullotta was best known for his exploits as an associate of the Chicago Outfit and his role as Tony Spilotro’s enforcer and street lieutenant in Las Vegas. However, he had another interest besides crime. … [More...]

Bundy Expert Kevin Sullivan Adds To Series With THE ENIGMA OF TED BUNDY

In this 6th and final book on the Ted Bundy case, I wanted to tackle some questions and legitimate controversies that remain about Ted Bundy, the murders, and his victims. These questions and controversies cover such issues as Bundy’s hunting … [More...]

Coming Soon

SATIN PUMPS Gives Inside Look Into Gripping Midcentury Murder

It was the midcentury murder that fascinated a nation and kept it glued for two years to radio, television and newspapers through three trials. Did the handsome, wealthy doctor and his beautiful young paramour plan to kill his glamorous socialite … [More...]

SERIAL KILLERS: 101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask

Learn the terrifying truth behind the world’s deadliest serial killers… Serial killers haunt our dreams and inspire the terrifying villains of TV shows and horror movies. But how much do you really know about the minds behind the world’s deadliest … [More...]

The Son Of Seven Mothers Kindle Cover

Cult Survivor Benjamin Risha Tells Readers His Story In THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS

As the adopted son of two cult leaders, Benjamin Risha was raised to someday assume a place of leadership in the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation with the Bible, and his parents’ interpretation of it, as his guide. He believed the prophecies … [More...]

Recent Posts

  • Meet Steve Kosareff, Author of True Crime Memoir, SATIN PUMPS
  • Author Steve Kosareff Introduces His True Crime Memoir, SATIN PUMPS
  • Book Trailer for OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SERIAL KILLERS
  • Audiobook Offer
  • Mary Brett
  • OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SERIAL KILLERS Photo Gallery
  • Why Do Serial Killers Kill? Find Out In OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SERIAL KILLERS

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

eZine SignupJoin our email list and be the first to get hot deals, new releases and...
* Author updates
* Free eBooks
* Free audio books
* Enlightening and entertaining posts
* Advance notice of book deals, special offers

Follow Us

Blog Tag Cloud

best true crime books Bogeyman Bradley Nickell Burl Barer Caitlin Rother Cold Case Crime Fiction Crime thriller Detective Detectives Facebook True Crime John Ferak Kevin Sullivan Las Vegas Murder murder book Mysteries Mystery mystery book mystery thriller Non-Fiction Ron Franscell Serial Killer serial killer books Serial Killers Steve Jackson Suspense suspense thriller Ted Bundy Thriller Thriller Books Thrillers True-crime truecrime True Crime True Crime Authors true crime book true crime books True Crime Discussions True Crime Original true crimes true crime stories True Murder WildBlue Press writing

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Our Authors Have Been Seen On...

Interested Authors Click Here
See Our Entire Catalog
SSL Secure Connection

Copyright © 2021 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.
Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing Company
True Crime Author Steve Jackson Discusses Death Penalty From Epilogue Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER