Percy Levar Walton
Encyclopedia
Percy Levar Walton was convicted and sentenced to death
in 1997 for the November 1996 murder
s of Elizabeth and Jessee Hendrick, aged 81 and 80, and Archie Moore, aged 33, in Danville, Virginia
.
He was scheduled to be executed on June 8, 2006, but the governor of Virginia
, Tim Kaine
, stayed the execution one hour before it was due to take place and has ordered a mental examination of the convict to determine if he is fit for execution or not. It was reported that Walton has an IQ of just 66, other reports claim that a test conducted before his 18th birthday put his IQ at 90.
Governor Kaine stated that it would be immoral to either execute or pardon
Walton without further investigations, and ordered that the court would evaluate the results of the examinations and, if applicable, set a new execution date on December 9, 2006. Kaine's decision sparked criticism from his political opponents, who during the recent election campaigns claimed that he was soft on crime and unwilling to make use of the death penalty.
The State of Virginia set an execution date of June 10, 2008, however on June 9, 2008, Governor Tim Kaine
commuted his sentence
to life in prison without parole.
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in 1997 for the November 1996 murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s of Elizabeth and Jessee Hendrick, aged 81 and 80, and Archie Moore, aged 33, in Danville, Virginia
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
.
He was scheduled to be executed on June 8, 2006, but the governor of Virginia
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....
, Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
, stayed the execution one hour before it was due to take place and has ordered a mental examination of the convict to determine if he is fit for execution or not. It was reported that Walton has an IQ of just 66, other reports claim that a test conducted before his 18th birthday put his IQ at 90.
Governor Kaine stated that it would be immoral to either execute or pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
Walton without further investigations, and ordered that the court would evaluate the results of the examinations and, if applicable, set a new execution date on December 9, 2006. Kaine's decision sparked criticism from his political opponents, who during the recent election campaigns claimed that he was soft on crime and unwilling to make use of the death penalty.
The State of Virginia set an execution date of June 10, 2008, however on June 9, 2008, Governor Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
commuted his sentence
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
to life in prison without parole.