Ya Fired!

Utah Death Row Inmate Who Requested Execution by Firing Squad Appeals to Supreme Court to Stay Sentence

Published June 15, 2010

AP

June 10: Ronnie Lee Gardner is sworn in before speaking at his commutation hearing at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah death row inmate who specifically requested execution by firing squad now is appealing to the Supreme Court to stay the sentence, scheduled to be carried out on Friday.

Gardner, 49, was sentenced to death for a 1985 capital murder conviction stemming from the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during an escape attempt. Gardner was at the court because he faced a murder charge in the shooting death of bartender Melvyn Otterstrom.

Utah Assistant Attorney General Thomas Brunker said the state will oppose any further delays of the execution.

All things considered, Gardner is holding up pretty well, his attorney (Andrew Parnes) said Tuesday.

"He is handling this as well as can be expected. ... He's in good spirits given the situation," Parnes said.

-If you would like to set a world record for T.V. ratings, here are my suggestions

1. Broadcast the event live on Pay-per-view

2. Have a celebrity firing squad. Below are some perfect candidates...

-O.J. Simpson

-Val Kilmer (dressed as Doc Holiday in Tombstone)

-Donald Trump yelling "hey Ronnie, ya fired" before each shot

-Lil Wayne

-Betty White with an AK-47 and bullets draped across her chest like Rambo.

3. Set it up like a carnival. Place ceramic cups and targets all over his body with points awarded for each target hit.