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November 13, 1983/ Page 5No sympathy for killers: let’svote for capital punishmentLet me begin today's commentary with a loading his weapon so he could shoot anoth- Yep, Thompson blames Governor Branstadquestion. Why does the Des Moines Register er officer. Never mind the fact that Nutter for his life without meaning. What garbage!even care what convicted murderers serving was slated to hang but his life was sparedlife sentences at Iowa's Fort Madison Peni- by then Iowa Governor Herschel Loveless. And all lifer Laverne Zaehringer did tentiary think? I don't! Oh, I grieve for No, Jack Nutter is a political prisoner and was fire two point-blank shots through thetheir victims and I care about the pain that it’s Branstad's fault. And Nutter points to windshield of a Davenport police car killingthe victim’s loved ones must bear for the rest of their lives but I hold nothing but revulsion and disgust for the murderersthemselves.And that’s why the Register article entitled, Iowa's 'Lifers' Face a Life without Hope brought no swell of sympathy from me. It seems the lifers, there are 239 of them (240 if you count Mayberry) costing Iowa taxpayers four million dollars a year, are mad at Governor Terry Branstad because he won’t commute life sentencesmaking them eligible for parole. And they point out that former Governor Bob Raycommuted 21 life sentences in 14 years in office and former Governor Harold Hughes awhopping 36 commutations in only 6 years in office.Well the Register article bled all over the page for the poor, misunderstood, life-without-hope convicted murderers. It quoted a twenty-nine year veteran of the Fort, Jack Nutter, who had the gall to say, 1 say I’m a political prisoner. Politics is what keeps me here. Never mind the fact that Nutter murdered an Independence policethe commutation recommendation by the a detective who was trying to help his part-parole board as his proof. Hell, the Iowa ner arrest Zaehringer after he allegedlyBoard of Parole would put Jack-the-Ripper kidnapped a woman at knifepoint. And thisback on the streets! is the man the parole board ranks as alow-medium violence risk and wants his sentence commuted! And Zaehringer insistsAs a matter of fact, the parole board favorably recommended two other lifers for commutation last year, Tommy Thompson and Laverne Zaehringer. Thompson kid- commutation thatthatifGovernor Branstad waitsuntillifers are very old before he grants themftwe won't be able tonapped a sixteen year old Des Moines boy work and we'll have to go on welfare. when the kid discovered good ole Tommy Amazing! Does murderer Laverne really be-« t _ m ** • a mm* t * • • • Jboard?No, I think the Des Moines Registershould worry less about Governor Branstad'sstealing the family car. Thompson then forced the boy to drive to a rural road near Waukee where he shot him in the chest and then shot him in the back and the sixteen year old was dead when police found him. no commutation stand and lifers withouthope and maybe ask the question that all Iowans should be asking. Why won't State Representative Dan Jay of Centerville, Chair of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee, let a capital punishment bill see the light of day? Because whether you’re for or against the death penalty,isn't it long past time that capital punishment came to a vote in the Iowa Legisla-Dale Hibbs, a former Iowa legislator, is a Government/Economics teacher at City High in Iowa City. Just Wondering, his common sense commentary, can be heard Monday through Friday on radio station KCJJ (1560 AM). Dale also hostsofficer with a 12-gauge shotgun. Never mind Your Turn Johnson County, a call-in talk show, Wednesdaythe fact that Nutter was apprehended re- nights from 6:30-7:30 on that same station.ture?This is Dale Hibbs...Just Wondering.
Newspaper Details
Coralville Weekly Courier
Coralville, Iowa, US
Wed, Nov 13, 1985
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Lisa H.
NA, 02 May 2022
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