CNN reports that convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardener is set to be killed by a firing squad just after midnight, in the early moments of Friday, June 18. Gardener’s last chance at a stay was exhausted earlier today. “Upon careful review, there is nothing in the materials provided this morning that has not already been considered and decided by the Board of Pardons and Parole or numerous courts,” Utah Governor Herbert wrote. “Mr. Gardner has had a full and fair opportunity to have his case considered by numerous tribunals.” All that’s left now . . . “Five anonymous marksmen will use matching .30-caliber rifles, standing behind a wall cut with five gunports. One of the rifles will be an ‘ineffective’ round, similar to a blank, which delivers the same recoil as a live round. That ensures none of the riflemen will know who delivered the fatal shot. The marksmen fire from a distance of 25 feet. The inmate is blindfolded, strapped to a chair and a target pinned to his chest.” it will be a far more civilized end than the one Mr. Gardener inflicted upon his victims.
