“Ninja Killer” Louis Gaskin, a 56-year-old Florida guy who was once sentenced to demise for the 1989 homicide of a Palm Beach couple, died by means of deadly injection Wednesday. His closing phrases have been obscure, however he seemed to replicate on his case.
Gaskin was once convicted in 1990 of first-degree homicide for killing Robert and Georgette Sturmfels of their Flagler County house. He was once additionally convicted of armed theft, housebreaking and the tried homicide of every other couple that very same night time. Dubbed the “Ninja Killer” as a result of he wore all-black ninja-style clothes all over the crimes, Gaskin stalked and terrorized his sufferers sooner than that night time of violence in 1989.
One of his surviving sufferers, Noreen Rector, hostile his demise sentence and was hoping the killer’s execution does no longer support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ doable presidential bid. DeSantis signed Gaskin’s demise warrant closing month.
Gaskin died on the Florida State Prison in Raiford at 6:15 p.m. native time Wednesday, in line with the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC). His execution got here after the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court denied numerous appeals.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Gaskin referenced his case in his closing phrases, pronouncing: “Justice is not about the crime … It’s not about the criminal. It’s about the law.” Parts of his commentary have been obscure, the News-Journal said.
His closing meal at 9:45 a.m. consisted of barbeque red meat ribs, buffalo wings, red meat and turkey neck, shrimp fried rice, french fries with honey barbeque sauce and a water, the DOC informed Newsweek. Gaskin was once visited by means of his sister previous to his demise and didn’t request spiritual recommend.
This month, Gaskin’s legal professionals filed a movement for a keep of the execution and challenged his demise sentence, arguing {that a} jury was once no longer given proof of Gaskin’s psychological sickness sooner than sentencing.
Several organizations, together with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP), hostile his demise sentence. Those protesting his demise highlighted that Gaskin was once condemned by means of an all-white, non-unanimous jury.
“Executing the mentally ill doesn’t make us safer,” FADP Director Maria DeLiberato informed Newsweek. “It doesn’t help any sort of healing. It takes away any of the purported purposes of the death penalty and it’s really just shameful. He was sentenced by a non-unanimous jury. In no other state in the country, would his execution be legal.”
Gaskin was once the second one death-row inmate carried out in Florida this yr.
Murderer Donald Dillbeck used his closing phrases in February to blast DeSantis, pronouncing: “I really messed up. But I know Ron DeSantis has done a lot worse.”
Gaskin supplied chilling main points of his crimes in a commentary to investigators, paperwork filed in Flagler County Circuit Court confirmed.
“It was like his wife got a little burst of energy from somewhere; proceeded to crawl out and shot her again,” Gaskin mentioned whilst recounting Georgette Sturmfels’ demise. “She still proceeded. She got into the hallway out of sight, so I went around to the other doors that faced the hallway. She was sitting there holding her head looking at the blood. I shot her again. She fell over.”
Rector mentioned she has had to deal with the lasting trauma from the night time Gaskin shot her ex-husband.
“I don’t believe the death penalty serves any purpose,” she informed the News-Journal. “What will really bother me is if this might, in some way, advance … DeSantis in his presidential quest. I find him and his views highly offensive and divisive.”
Another execution is scheduled for subsequent month in Florida, and just about 300 inmates are on demise row within the state.