In a chilling display of justice served, Alabama carried out the execution of a man who confessed to the brutal murder of five individuals during a drug-induced frenzy in 2016.
Derrick Dearman, aged 36, was declared dead at 6:14 p.m. on Thursday at Holman prison, located in the southern part of the state. The horrific crime spree began when Dearman forcefully entered a house where his former girlfriend had sought refuge.
Earlier this year, Dearman decided to abandon his appeals. In a letter penned to a judge in April, he wrote, "I am guilty," and further expressed that "it's not fair to the victims or their families to keep prolonging the justice that they so rightly deserve." According to CBS News, Dearman's remorse was evident in an audio recording he sent to The Associated Press this week. He stated, "I am willingly giving all that I can possibly give to try and repay a small portion of my debt to society for all the terrible things I've done," and expressed his hope that the focus would shift from him to the healing of those he had harmed.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall voiced his support for the execution on Thursday, stating that it was "in the interest of justice and finality for the families." He further noted that "as a jury of his peers unanimously agreed, the gruesome facts of this case merited the ultimate punishment." Marshall painted a grim picture of Dearman's crimes, saying, "Dearman viciously struck his victims with an axe, leaving them conscious and suffering for some time before he executed each at close range. Dearman showed no pity and no mercy."
Dearman's execution was one of two scheduled for Thursday across the U.S. The other involved Robert Roberson, who was set to be the first individual executed for a murder conviction linked to a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. However, a judge granted a delay in Roberson's execution following a request from Texas lawmakers. The Texas Attorney General's Office was expected to swiftly appeal this decision.
Dearman's execution marked the fifth of its kind in Alabama in 2024. Two of these were carried out using nitrogen gas, while the remaining three, including Dearman's, were conducted via lethal injection, the state's primary method of execution.
The victims of Dearman's horrifying rampage were Shannon Melissa Randall, 35; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; Robert Lee Brown, 26; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; and Chelsea Marie Reed, 22. The incident took place on August 20, 2016, in a home near Citronelle, approximately 30 miles north of Mobile. Chelsea Reed, who was pregnant at the time, was married to Justin Reed. Turner, married to Randall, shared the home with the Reeds. Brown, Randall's brother, was also present on the night of the murders. Dearman's girlfriend, who had sought refuge in the house, survived the ordeal.
The day prior to the murders, Joseph Turner, the brother of Dearman's girlfriend, had brought her to their home after Dearman had displayed abusive behavior towards her. Despite being denied entry multiple times, Dearman returned to the house after 3 a.m., when all the victims were asleep. He proceeded to attack the victims with an ax and a gun, forcing his surviving girlfriend to accompany him to Mississippi.
Dearman turned himself in to the authorities at his father's urging. While being escorted to jail, he attributed his violent actions to drug use, claiming that he was under the influence of methamphetamine during the incident and that the "drugs were making me think things that weren't really there happening."
Initially, Dearman pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty after dismissing his attorneys. As per Alabama law, a jury was required to hear the evidence and determine the state's case due to the capital murder charges. The jury found Dearman guilty and unanimously recommended a death sentence.
Before abandoning his appeal, Dearman's lawyers argued that his trial counsel had failed to adequately demonstrate his mental illness and "lack of competency to plead guilty." The Equal Justice Initiative, which represented Dearman during the appeal, stated on its website that Dearman "suffered from lifelong and severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder with psychotic features."
Dearman had been on death row since 2018. In the hours leading up to his execution, he was visited by his sons, sister, and father. His final meal consisted of a seafood platter from a local restaurant. The execution of Derrick Dearman serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violent crime and the justice system's role in delivering retribution for such heinous acts.
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