Death Penalty

Kenneth Smith, 58, died at 8:25 p.m. Thursday, after a slew of last-minute appeals to several courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, failed.

Virginia said it's keeping execution tapes secret to protect the privacy of the relatives of the prisoners the state recorded. But the families NPR talked with said they want the tapes published.

In her final weeks in office, Gov. Kate Brown is commuting the sentences of those on death row and dismantling the state execution chamber in an effort to effectively end capital punishment in Oregon.

In the race to be Oregon's next governor, the Democratic candidate says she’ll continue Oregon’s moratorium on capital punishment, while the Republican and unaffiliated candidates indicate they will revoke it, which could allow the state to resume executions.

Lucio is scheduled to be executed for the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Her supporters say she was forced into a false "confession" and that new evidence exists that proves her innocence.

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The court's decision on Friday follows a ruling in October that found state lawmakers had fundamentally altered “prevailing societal standards” for executions when they changed the law in 2019.

A former Washington judge and former Seattle police chief also signed on to the letter to the Biden administration, joining around 100 officials from around the country.

Washington Representative Brad Klippert says he opposes any kind of repeal effort in his Chamber. His support of the death penalty is rooted in his Christian faith and his experience in law enforcement.

We talk to local radio host Lars Larson who asked a question at the White House press briefing last week. And we talk to the Governor of Washington State about their death penalty moratorium.