Sir, - The merciless execution of Karla Faye Tucker occurred amid a blaze of media coverage. However a more sinister execution took place, relatively unreported, four days earlier in Indiana. Robert Smith was put to death after a most unusual plea bargain after being charged with the killing of another prison inmate.
Smith was tired of living in prison and wished to die so he rejected an offer from the prosecution of a long sentence and insisted he would plead guilty only if he was given the death penalty. The prosecution accepted this offer even though it had previously judged that Smith did not, under Indiana law, deserve the death penalty. Thus his execution can only be described as a state-assisted suicide.
While death-row inmates do sometimes give up their appeals in despair (the next woman scheduled to die in Texas, on April 20th, has done this), it is despicable that an inmate's depression should be the basis for his execution.
In a final statement, Smith apologised for his crimes: `I'm ashamed of the way I lived my life and I've prayed God will forgive me. I hope the angels are flying close to the ground. I'm sorry I helped make the world the way it is today." - Yours, etc.,
Conor Perry,
Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.