David Paul Hammer
Encyclopedia
David Paul Hammer is an American
murderer and a prison
er on death row
at Terre Haute prison, Indiana
. He was sentenced to death on November 4, 1998 for the murder of his cell mate, Andrew Marti. Hammer has achieved media fame for his appeals against his sentence and against the death penalty itself.
Hammer was first imprisoned at the age of 19. With the exception of two brief escapes during the 1980s, he served 21 of the first 41 years of his life incarcerated for a multitude of offenses, including larceny, shooting with intent to kill, kidnapping and telephoning in a bomb threat. In all, he is serving 1232 years for his 11 convictions.
Hammer was first placed into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
in December 1993. He was transferred from the custody of the State of Oklahoma, where he was serving a state prison sentence in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections
for over 1,200 years for crimes committed in that state. Hammer received the BOP ID# 24507-077.
# 58008-065) to death using a piece of homemade cord. Writing on a website dedicated to his case in 2001, Hammer could not ‘attribute any motive’ to his actions.
Hammer was sentenced to death by lethal injection on November 4, 1998, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, having pleaded guilty to the murder. His execution date was set at January 14, 1999 at 10:00 A.M. Initially, Hammer was resigned to his fate, and encouragement to fight his conviction did not motivate him. He waved his right to appeal during his trial, then proceeded to appeal three weeks later, then followed by dismissing his own appeal a further three months later.
Hammer cites the nine year old daughter of fellow death row inmate, Brownsville drug boss Juan Raul Garza, as his motivation to fight his conviction. The daughter, Elizabeth Ann Garza, reportedly told Hammer that ‘his life could make a difference for others.’. Elizabeth Ann’s letter to President Bill Clinton
appealing against her own father’s sentence was also reported to have motivated Hammer to appeal his own death sentence.
Hammer himself wrote to President Clinton, asking for his sentence to be changed to life imprisonment rather than the death sentence, describing the death penalty to be ‘plagued by systemic bias, disparity and arbitrariness.’.
On February 11, 2004 the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that his execution date was set for June 8, 2004.
As of 2010 he is housed in the U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute
.
, Hammer attempted to commit suicide. A diabetic, Hammer injected insulin directly into his veins, however the attempt was thwarted and he received hospital treatment. In a daily journal, Hammer mentioned his suicide attempt, and wrote:
"I keep wondering how long until my own date with the executioner will arrive, I wish I were dead right now, but I'm not. Death would be a welcome relief."
At the time, Hammer's own date of execution (previously set at November 15, 2000) had been postponed and no further date set, to allow for his appeals. Hammer’s attorney, Ronald Travis, claimed that he had no knowledge of his client’s intent to harm himself, however he did believe that Hammer and McVeigh were ‘close’. Hammer himself reported that he and McVeigh had become friends having met on a flight from Terre Haute, and were in adjacent cells.
based on knowledge allegedly gleaned first-hand from Timothy McVeigh on death row prior to his execution: Secrets Worth Dying For: Timothy James McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing (2004), co-authored with Jeffery William Paul, and Deadly Secrets: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing (2010). In May 2010, shortly following the publication of the second book, Hammer gave an extended interview on the talk radio show of Alex Jones, detailing his relationship with McVeigh and McVeigh's account of the US government's alleged involvement
in his recruitment and perpetration of the bombing.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
murderer and a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
er on death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
at Terre Haute prison, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He was sentenced to death on November 4, 1998 for the murder of his cell mate, Andrew Marti. Hammer has achieved media fame for his appeals against his sentence and against the death penalty itself.
Early years
Hammer himself described his childhood as being full of ‘poverty, abuse, and many other of society's ills’. He is the oldest of three children. He attended 21 different schools as a child, dropping out of high school. As a child, he suffered verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. At 13 he ran away from home for several weeks before being returned. Two years later, Hammer lived on the street, with drug abuse problems. At age 16 he married, though was subsequently divorced.Hammer was first imprisoned at the age of 19. With the exception of two brief escapes during the 1980s, he served 21 of the first 41 years of his life incarcerated for a multitude of offenses, including larceny, shooting with intent to kill, kidnapping and telephoning in a bomb threat. In all, he is serving 1232 years for his 11 convictions.
Hammer was first placed into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
in December 1993. He was transferred from the custody of the State of Oklahoma, where he was serving a state prison sentence in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Oklahoma Department of Corrections
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is an agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center building.The Department of Corrections is governed by the...
for over 1,200 years for crimes committed in that state. Hammer received the BOP ID# 24507-077.
Death sentence
In April, 1996, in the Special Housing Unit in the U.S. Penitentiary, Allenwood, Hammer strangled his cellmate, 27-year old Andrew Hunt Marti (Federal Bureau of PrisonsFederal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
# 58008-065) to death using a piece of homemade cord. Writing on a website dedicated to his case in 2001, Hammer could not ‘attribute any motive’ to his actions.
Hammer was sentenced to death by lethal injection on November 4, 1998, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, having pleaded guilty to the murder. His execution date was set at January 14, 1999 at 10:00 A.M. Initially, Hammer was resigned to his fate, and encouragement to fight his conviction did not motivate him. He waved his right to appeal during his trial, then proceeded to appeal three weeks later, then followed by dismissing his own appeal a further three months later.
Hammer cites the nine year old daughter of fellow death row inmate, Brownsville drug boss Juan Raul Garza, as his motivation to fight his conviction. The daughter, Elizabeth Ann Garza, reportedly told Hammer that ‘his life could make a difference for others.’. Elizabeth Ann’s letter to President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
appealing against her own father’s sentence was also reported to have motivated Hammer to appeal his own death sentence.
Hammer himself wrote to President Clinton, asking for his sentence to be changed to life imprisonment rather than the death sentence, describing the death penalty to be ‘plagued by systemic bias, disparity and arbitrariness.’.
On February 11, 2004 the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that his execution date was set for June 8, 2004.
As of 2010 he is housed in the U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute
The Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, is a federal prison for adult males located at the intersection of State Road 63 and Springhill Drive, two miles south of Terre Haute, Indiana United States...
.
Attempted suicide
On the night before June 11, the date of the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
, Hammer attempted to commit suicide. A diabetic, Hammer injected insulin directly into his veins, however the attempt was thwarted and he received hospital treatment. In a daily journal, Hammer mentioned his suicide attempt, and wrote:
"I keep wondering how long until my own date with the executioner will arrive, I wish I were dead right now, but I'm not. Death would be a welcome relief."
At the time, Hammer's own date of execution (previously set at November 15, 2000) had been postponed and no further date set, to allow for his appeals. Hammer’s attorney, Ronald Travis, claimed that he had no knowledge of his client’s intent to harm himself, however he did believe that Hammer and McVeigh were ‘close’. Hammer himself reported that he and McVeigh had become friends having met on a flight from Terre Haute, and were in adjacent cells.
Hunger strike
On November 23, 2001, during a visiting period, Hammer became agitated and faced three misconduct charges. Placed under death watch, with constant supervision using cameras, Hammer refused both food and insulin, a great danger due to Hammer’s diabetes.Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing
Hammer has published two books on the Oklahoma City bombingOklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
based on knowledge allegedly gleaned first-hand from Timothy McVeigh on death row prior to his execution: Secrets Worth Dying For: Timothy James McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing (2004), co-authored with Jeffery William Paul, and Deadly Secrets: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing (2010). In May 2010, shortly following the publication of the second book, Hammer gave an extended interview on the talk radio show of Alex Jones, detailing his relationship with McVeigh and McVeigh's account of the US government's alleged involvement
Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy theories
A variety of conspiracy theories have been proposed regarding the Oklahoma City bombing. These theories reject all or part of the official government report. Some of these theories focus on the possibility of additional, unindicted co-conspirators or additional explosives planted inside the Murrah...
in his recruitment and perpetration of the bombing.