This Week in 2010
“I am an innocent man. This is a miscarriage of justice. I didn’t take the lives of Joyland Morgan and her son Kewan. My attorney failed me. It’s a tragedy. I’m an innocent man. To my family, I love you.”
– Julius Young, convicted of murder, lethal injection, Oklahoma. Executed on January 14, 2010.
Young, a former preacher, broke into the home of Joyslon Roland, who had broken off her relationship with Young. Young beat Roland and her six-year-old son Kewan, both of whom died from their injuries.
This week in 1949
To the warden, having spat at a priest:
“I hate your guts.”
He then said he looked forward to joining his friends in hell.
— Robert Battalino, convicted of murder, gas chamber, Colorado.
Executed January 7, 1949
Restaurant cook Battalino received the death sentence for shooting his boss, Michael Randolph, a Denver restaurant owner, after he fired Battalino and accused him of taking money from the register. As guards strapped Battalino into the gas chamber chair, he “spurned religious overtures from two prison chaplains.” The Rocky Mountain News headline read “Battalino Dies Smiling.”
This Week in 2011
“Let my mother know I love her. I just want to thank everyone for your support. I want to thank all my buddies on death row. I hear you banging. There is a letter to read and to the Short family too. I hate to see ya’ll in this situation, but I’m doing all right. I’m grateful. I learned a lot — got some accurate knowledge. Just sitting here kind of enjoying my last moments. I am fine and doing good. I want everyone to be fine and not having a sad day and go on and enjoy life. I think that Governor’s phone’s broke — he ain’t called yet.”
– Jeffery David Matthews, convicted of murder, lethal injection, Oklahoma. Executed January 11, 2011.
Matthews and Tracy Dyer broke into the home of Otis Short, Matthews’s great uncle. Matthews shot Short in the head while Dyer cut the throat of his wife, Minnie, who survived the attack. Both men fled in Short’s truck after stealing $500 in cash. Dyer testified against Matthews during his trial for Short’s murder, but recanted his statements. Matthews was retried in 1998, but he was again sentenced to death.
