Morris Mason
Encyclopedia
Morris Odell Mason was a convicted rapist and murderer who called himself "the killer for the Eastern Shore".
He was convicted of rape, murder, and arson in the 1978 murder of 71 year old Margaret K. Hand in Northampton County, Virginia
. Mason nailed his victim's wrist into the seat of a chair and bound her with rope into that chair before burning her home down.
Attorneys for Mason contended that their client was mentally retarded
and did not comprehend his crimes, thus warranting the commutation of his death sentence by Governor
Chuck Robb
. The Governor rejected their appeals after having read internal memos stating that several psychiatric analyses of Mason done by the state during his life of crime showed that Mason had a low IQ but understood his actions. In particular, after killing Hand, Mason took steps to avoid implicating himself by returning to the burning house to recover a bag with his identity papers in it.
Mason pled guilty to assault on two teenage sisters the day after Hand's murder. His combined sentences consisted of one death penalty, seven life sentences, and 100 years of imprisonment for his crimes. According to a report by Human Rights Watch
'he had so little conception of death that he asked advisors what he should wear to his own funeral, and said cheerfully, on his way to the execution chamber, that a visitor should tell a fellow inmate that "when I get back, I'm gonna show him I can play basketball as good as he can".' Immediately before the execution on the electric chair
he gave no response when asked for his last words. At 11:07pm Morris Mason was declared dead in Richmond State Penitentiary.
He was convicted of rape, murder, and arson in the 1978 murder of 71 year old Margaret K. Hand in Northampton County, Virginia
Northampton County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 12,389 people, 5,321 households, and 3,543 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 6,547 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
. Mason nailed his victim's wrist into the seat of a chair and bound her with rope into that chair before burning her home down.
Attorneys for Mason contended that their client was mentally retarded
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
and did not comprehend his crimes, thus warranting the commutation of his death sentence by Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
Chuck Robb
Chuck Robb
Charles Spittal "Chuck" Robb is an American politician. He served as the 64th Governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986, and as a United States senator from 1989 until 2001. In 2004, he chaired the Iraq Intelligence Commission.-Early life:...
. The Governor rejected their appeals after having read internal memos stating that several psychiatric analyses of Mason done by the state during his life of crime showed that Mason had a low IQ but understood his actions. In particular, after killing Hand, Mason took steps to avoid implicating himself by returning to the burning house to recover a bag with his identity papers in it.
Mason pled guilty to assault on two teenage sisters the day after Hand's murder. His combined sentences consisted of one death penalty, seven life sentences, and 100 years of imprisonment for his crimes. According to a report by Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
'he had so little conception of death that he asked advisors what he should wear to his own funeral, and said cheerfully, on his way to the execution chamber, that a visitor should tell a fellow inmate that "when I get back, I'm gonna show him I can play basketball as good as he can".' Immediately before the execution on the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
he gave no response when asked for his last words. At 11:07pm Morris Mason was declared dead in Richmond State Penitentiary.
See also
- List of individuals executed in Virginia
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
Sources
- The Associated Press. Two Men Convicted Of Murder Are Exectued In Virginia And Texas. The New York Times (1985-06-26). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Helen Redmond. Executions Banned For Mentally Retarded. The New Abolitionist (August 2002, Issue 25). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- US Executions since 1976. Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Human Rights Watch. Beyond Reason: Defendants with Mental Retardation: Their Stories. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.