Gov. Ron DeSantis Says Death Was Only ‘Appropriate’ Sentence for Parkland Murderer: ‘A Miscarriage of Justice’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said that the “only appropriate sentence” for the murderer who killed 17 and injured 17 more in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting was the death penalty, and that the life sentence imposed this week is a “miscarriage of justice.”
At a news conference in Cape Coral, Florida, DeSantis took a moment to discuss the handing down of a life sentence for the killer, based on at least one juror finding that there were sufficient mitigating factors to avoid the death penalty.
Families of the victims condemned the verdict shortly after it was read, in several heartfelt and heart-wrenching personal statements.
At his presser, DeSantis said that, “if you have a death penalty at all” that this was a case that deserved it.
“Apparently it was 11 to 1, with one hold-out refusing to authorize the ultimate punishment,” said DeSantis, emphasizing that means that he will serve the same sentence as criminals who committed heinous crimes that neverthless do not “rise to this level.”
“I just don’t think anything else is appropriate except a capital sentence in this case,” he said.
The only appropriate sentence for the massacre of 17 innocent people is the death penalty. That the jury had a single holdout refuse to authorize a capital sentence represents a miscarriage of justice.
My prayers are with the Parkland families. pic.twitter.com/f2M0Fw1SLo
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 13, 2022
DeSantis also criticized the extremely long process for the case to work through the courts over four years before there was a sentence.
“You know they used to do this, he would’ve been executed in six months. He’s guilty, everybody knew that from the beginning, and yet it takes years and years in this legal system that is not serving the interest of victims,” said DeSantis.
