KY Bishops Request Life Sentence for Murderer

By Gabe Bullard

Frankfort, KY – Kentucky's four Catholic bishops are asking Governor Steve Beshear to commute Marco Chapman's death sentence. Chapman pleaded guilty to killing two children in 2004 and has asked that his death sentence be expedited. Chapman is set to be executed on November 21st, but the bishops want Beshear to change the sentence to life in prison. The Catholic Conference of Kentucky's Reverend Patrick Delahanty says Chapman's history of drug abuse and attempted suicide make him unfit to request execution.

"He apparently thinks he's in control of human life. He killed two people and now he is asking us to carry out his long-held wish of killing himself. Our position is that that is not good public policy." Kentucky has executed two people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.