BY JOHN A. TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY
Junny Rios-Martinez Sr. said Thursday's stay of execution issued by the U.S. Supreme Court is making him doubt his own government.
"I always thought this was a government for the people and by the people, but I was wrong," he said from a family member's home in Jacksonville. "I guess the Supreme Court wanted to flex their muscles."
The high court issued a stay for convicted killer Mark Dean Schwab about five hours before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
Schwab, 38, was sentenced to death in 1992 for the abduction, rape and murder of 11-year-old Junny Rios-Martinez Jr. in 1991.
Rios-Martinez and his family have waited 16 years to see his Junny's murderer executed.
Thursday morning, Rios-Martinez went to work at his Brevard County Parks Department job when co-workers told him that a federal circuit court stay had been reversed.
That's when family members headed north toward Florida State Prison.
He was at another son's home in Jacksonville when he received the news of the Supreme Court decision.
The Rios-Martinez family will hold a Saturday celebration of Junny's life as they start their own personal healing. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. at Junny Rios-Martinez park in Cocoa.
In fact, Rios-Martinez said the party would start a little early.
"We're going to spend tonight (Thursday) barbecuing, getting something to eat and starting the celebration now."
Assistant State Attorney Wayne Holmes, who prosecuted Schwab, said the years of delays are frustrating.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," he said. "There is no issue regarding guilt in this case. Why are we at year 16?"
Rios-Martinez tried not let his disappointment show.
"Schwab is going to be executed," he said. "Eventually."
Contact Torres at 242- 3649 or jtorres@floridatoday.com.
FLORIDA TODAY
Junny Rios-Martinez Sr. said Thursday's stay of execution issued by the U.S. Supreme Court is making him doubt his own government.
"I always thought this was a government for the people and by the people, but I was wrong," he said from a family member's home in Jacksonville. "I guess the Supreme Court wanted to flex their muscles."
The high court issued a stay for convicted killer Mark Dean Schwab about five hours before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
Schwab, 38, was sentenced to death in 1992 for the abduction, rape and murder of 11-year-old Junny Rios-Martinez Jr. in 1991.
Rios-Martinez and his family have waited 16 years to see his Junny's murderer executed.
Thursday morning, Rios-Martinez went to work at his Brevard County Parks Department job when co-workers told him that a federal circuit court stay had been reversed.
That's when family members headed north toward Florida State Prison.
He was at another son's home in Jacksonville when he received the news of the Supreme Court decision.
The Rios-Martinez family will hold a Saturday celebration of Junny's life as they start their own personal healing. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. at Junny Rios-Martinez park in Cocoa.
In fact, Rios-Martinez said the party would start a little early.
"We're going to spend tonight (Thursday) barbecuing, getting something to eat and starting the celebration now."
Assistant State Attorney Wayne Holmes, who prosecuted Schwab, said the years of delays are frustrating.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," he said. "There is no issue regarding guilt in this case. Why are we at year 16?"
Rios-Martinez tried not let his disappointment show.
"Schwab is going to be executed," he said. "Eventually."
Contact Torres at 242- 3649 or jtorres@floridatoday.com.
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7 comments:
execution will not bring closure.
I agree with anonymous. The execution, when it finally happens, will almost certainly be a let down for this family. It will not bring either relief or closure.
I`m a Canadian man and I have a hard time to understand why a family need to assist to an execution ? justice was done the man is in jail in the death row for the last 16 years and this 23 hours a day in a tiny cell , no contact visite , how can this family now wonder about their justice system ? personal satisfaction is not justice .. Alain Daigle .
are you guys kidding? if your son or little brother is killed by this person, would you go to this killer and tell him "it's ok, i don't hate you so be good in there so you get parolled early ". you are only saying that because it is not you who lost a loved one. how can you pity the killer instead of the victim. it will not bring any closure for you because you're just a spectator to the whole thing and you don't feel the pain of loosing somebody to a monster.do you want this guy to get out and kill again? it's people like you that is hard to understand.
Killers should be put to death, I can't believe that some of those
bleeding hearts who have pit for the killer and not the family, I hope they have something happen to
one of their childern and then lets see how high and mighty they act (Stupid As----)
as much as I grieve for this family -- I know they would never, ever wish for this to happen to someone else's child just so people could know what they're going through. You may not have really meant your comment...but it's disturbing and sad to have to read that you could wish that on someone else.
When society becomes mostly selfish, then, when it 'doesn't happen to them', they lose the ability to truly care. Anyone who thinks Justice was done by putting someone in jail for murder is selfish - they don't care. Being on death row means the peversity of their crime has been contained NOT closed for the vicitim's decendants. When the sacredness of human life is second-guessed through legal tactic then our country is washed up - game over. Does anyone out there understand the absolute absurdity and ignorance of considering 'cruel and unusual punishment' in the case of lethal injection that the victim's taxpayer's dollar went to supply, their dollars that went to sustain the man who took their son's life with food and shelter?? Not getting publically hanged is protection from 'cruel and unusual punishment'. Not getting the same method of death used to kill the victim is protection from 'cruel and unusual punishment'. Folks, Americans need to wake up and get off their own personal agenda and start having compassion for victims in this country. - J
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