Prosecutors in Augusta, Georgia are seeking the death penalty against a man accused of murdering the Rev. Rene Robert (pictured), despite their knowledge that the Franciscan priest had requested that the death penalty not be used “under any circumstances” if he were killed. On January 31, Catholic Bishops from Georgia and Florida traveled to Augusta to meet with Hank Sims, the acting district attorney for the Augusta Judicial Circuit, asking him to respect Reverend Robert’s wishes and to withdraw capital charges against Steven Murray. They also delivered a petition signed by more than 7,400 people from Rev. Robert’s diocese in St. Augustine, Florida, asking that the Reverend’s wishes be honored. In his work as a Catholic priest, Rev. Robert had devoted his life to serving people convicted of crimes and those struggling with addiction and mental health problems. He had worked with Murray through his ministry. Twenty years before he was killed, Rev. Robert signed a “Declaration of Life” that stated: “I hereby declare that should I die as a result of a violent crime, I request that the person or persons found guilty of homicide for my killing not be subject to or put in jeopardy of the death penalty under any circumstances, no matter how heinous their crime, or how much I have suffered.” His declaration also requested that the Declaration of Life be admitted as evidence at trial if the prosecution sought the death penalty for his murder, and asked that the Governor “take whatever action is necessary” to prevent any person convicted of his murder from being executed. “During my life,” he wrote, “I want to feel confident that under no circumstances whatsoever will my death result in the capital punishment of another human being.” At a press conference before the meeting, St. Augustine Diocese’s Bishop Felipe Estevez expressed the bishops’ opposition to capital punishment. “Imposing a death sentence as a consequence of killing wrongly perpetuates a cycle of violence in our community,” he said. “The death penalty only contributes to an ever-growing disrespect for the sacredness of human life. … Societies remain safe when violent criminals are in prison for life without parole.” The views of Rev. Robert and the bishops reflect the Catholic Church’s longstanding opposition to the death penalty, which Pope Francis reiterated in an address to Congress in 2015.
(K. Guerra, “Priests don’t want a man to be on death row. Even if he’s accused of killing one of their own.” The Washington Post, January 31, 2017; K. Brumback, “BISHOPS URGE PROSECUTOR TO DROP DEATH IN PRIEST’S KILLING,” Associated Press, January 31, 2017.) See Religion and Victims.
