Why We Contribute to VADP
Dave Knight, Alexandria
As my wife and I were driving to Richmond early
on the morning that my brother Jamie was shot, I
vividly remembered our earlier conversations
about the death penalty.
Thad visions of standing out-
side a prison holding signs
decrying the execution of my
brother's killer. My wife and
I had discussed the reasons
why the death penalty doesn't
Lid “aad work and is unfair But what
ie sealed it for me was this:
Jamie was one of the most caring, friendly, out-
going, I'm-always-gonna-have-your-back person
I'd ever known. He was making the world a better
place with his life, and I did not want someone
killed in his name. It would have been an insult to
his memory.
I do remember feeling a sense of calm knowing
that when the situation was no longer academic,
that our convictions were steadfast then and now,
twenty-one years later.
That's why I'm happy to support VADP.
Cliff Maloney, President of
Young Americans for Liberty
VADP does phenomenal work in Virginia. They
take the very complex and
serious issue that is the
death penalty and they
clearly present the merits
of why we need to abolish
it in a way that reaches
everyday Virginians.
As a limited government
advocate, nothing is more important than stripping
the government's ability to legally kill a citizen. I
commend VADP on its work with this issue.
Rachel Sutphin, Christiansburg
My father, the late Corporal Eric Sutphin, was
killed by William Morva during a manhunt in
Blacksburg in 2006. When Morva’s execution
date was announced for July 2017, I was alarmed.
jo | wrote to the Governor and
other public officials urging
that he be granted clemency.
But Morva was executed
Now I mourn for two people.
I mourn because I believe in
the sanctity of human life,
regardless of criminal record.
Therefore, I chose to share my story, as a victim’s
family member, to show my support for the work
of VADP.
I long for the day when the government stops kill-
ing its own people in the name of justice. True
justice does not deny human rights. True justice
takes all lawful measures to preserve life.
May justice come and bring healing to the families
of the victims and perpetrators alike.
Rey. Connie Clark, Earlysville
Ihave worked as a chaplain in
two state psychiatric hospitals.
I learned how people with se-
vere mental illness who com-
mit crimes can either be served
well by the state or served
poorly — to the point of death
through neglect or killing by
the death penalty.
iN
Knowing that so many people who wind up
charged with crimes and imprisoned suffer from
mental illness, I am passionate about preventing
their execution.
But fundamentally, I am against killing in any
case, for any reason.
VADP 2017 Annual Report
Making Big Progress During 2017
Dear VADP Supporters,
Much like the national scene, Virginia had mixed
results about the death penalty in 2016.
Last year the General Assembly
passed legislation mandating use
of the electric chair if lethal
injection drugs were not available.
Instead of vetoing this bad bill,
Gov. McAuliffe proposed using
secret execution drugs from
compounding pharmacies for Virginia executions.
There was significant opposition to Governor
McAuliffe’s execution drug secrecy proposal.
The House of Delegates initially rejected it, but
approved it after pressure from House leaders.
Our work on legislation to ban the execution of
people with severe mental illness has resulted in
new partnerships. Seven new mental health
groups joined our coalition in 2016.
This coalition developed a sophisticated strategy
that focused on key legislators with mixed voting
records on death penalty-related issues, carried out
legislator visits in their home districts, and won
significant media support for our legislative goals.
Virginia had another year with no death sentences.
It is now over five years since a jury sentenced
someone to death in September 2011. And a jury
in rural Dinwiddie county gave a life sentence for
the killer of a Virginia state trooper in August.
The recent execution of Ricky Gray and upcoming
executions are remnants of old capital cases that
today would likely result in life sentences.
It is indeed a new day for Virginia. We need you
to continue responding to our action alerts, coming
to regional meetings and education events, and
making generous financial donations to our work.
— Michael Stone
VADP Executive Director
Why Board Members Support VADP
RJ Bee, Washington
My wife is a mitigation specialist and attorney.
She shared stories of people who were wrongfully
convicted, cases improperly handled and people
just treated inhumanely. This has
solidified my opposition to the
death penalty over the years.
VADP is in an exciting and
unique position. Our supporters
a play a significant role in the abo-
lition of the death penalty in a state where it has
long been a big part of the criminal justice system.
VADP is a thoughtful, strategic and ambitious
organization, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Theresa Dunleavy, Nofolk
In 1993 I read Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen
Prejean and began to educate myself on capital
punishment. I was horrified by
what I learned.
Many death row inmates are
exonerated due to post-conviction
evidence; it is likely that innocent
people have been executed. With
this knowledge, I became a vocal
activist to end the death penalty.
Thou shalt not kill applies to individuals and to the
government. The death penalty defies logic and
reason. That's why I'm happy to stand with
VADP.
VADP 2017 Annual Report
