"…but you see my execution date is January 25, 2005…"

Some time ago the San Antonio Express-News reported that Heavy metal killer shows remorse on death gurney:

A condemned killer from San Antonio begged for forgiveness from his victim's family before being executed, more than two decades after he punctuated the murder by chanting lyrics from a Metallica song titled "No Remorse."

Troy Kunkle's stays of execution
-Aug. 11, 1984: Kunkle, then 18, kills Steven Wayne Horton during a robbery while on a drug-fueled joyride with friends in Corpus Christi.
-Feb. 22, 1985: Kunkle is found guilty of capital murder; the next month he is given the death sentence.
-Aug. 16, 1989: Court of Criminal Appeals grants stay of execution before his first execution date, Aug. 23.
-Aug. 26, 1993: Federal district court grants stay of execution before his second execution date, Sept. 1.
-July 13, 2001: Federal district court grants stay of execution before his third execution date, Aug. 1.
-July 7, 2004: U.S. Supreme Court grants stay of execution nine hours before Kunkle is scheduled to die and gives itself time to examine the case. His appeal is denied in October.
-Nov. 18, 2004: U.S. Supreme Court stays Kunkle's execution after he was served his last meal, but lifts the order in December.
-Jan. 25, 2005: Troy Kunkle, 38, died by lethal injection at 8:12 p.m. after not getting a sixth stay of execution.

"Can I talk to the victim's family?" he asked the warden before receiving the lethal dose. "I would like to ask you to forgive me. I made a mistake, and I'm sorry for what I did. All I can do is ask you to forgive me."

He then recited the Lord's Prayer and indicated he was ready. He mouthed "I love you" to his family several times before dying. Among those present to witness the execution were Kunkle's mother, uncle and a woman who called herself his wife. "Shame to Texas," the woman said as she left the death chamber witness room. Also witnessing the execution were the victim's daughter and son-in-law. They declined to comment.

The story:
Kunkle, a former Roosevelt High School student, spent nearly all of his adult life in a 5-by-9-foot cell at the Ellis Unit in Huntsville after being convicted of capital murder. On Aug. 11, 1984, Kunkle and four friends took a drug-fueled joyride to Corpus Christi, where they hung out on the beach and binged on alcohol and acid. Then the teens drove around the city looking for someone to rob. They robbed a man at a phone booth but the mugging netted only $7. After midnight, they spotted 31-year-old Steven Wayne Horton walking along the road and offered him a ride home. When he got in the car, one of the teens put a gun to his head and demanded his wallet. Horton refused. Kunkle, then 18, told his friend to kill Horton but the other teen said it was not necessary, authorities said. Kunkle took the .22-caliber pistol and shot Horton once in the back of the head. Afterward, Kunkle recited the lyrics "Another day, another death. Another sorrow, another breath", from the song on the "Kill 'em All" album by heavy metal band Metallica. The wallet stolen by the teens held $13. At trial, Kunkle's parents said their family had a history of mental illness and, as a result, they sometimes had disciplined their son too violently. Defense attorneys have argued the jury might have spared Kunkle had they known about the child abuse and other hardships. While on death row, Kunkle became a born-again Christian. One of the few questions he asked prison officials Tuesday was whether he could wear a religious medal when he was executed.

My Name's Lorenzo and in december I wrote a letter to Troy Kunkle; he answered me, informing me that the new execution date had been scheduled for January 25th; then I wrote him back but he didn't have time to answer me, or maybe to read my second letter. Here are some parts of his letter: Sent: 12-30-04 "…at this point things are very unsure! You see they really want to kill me down here in Texas! I'm not from Texas and they are all a bunch of Southern Protestant Fundamentalists who want to execute as many people as they can down here!…"

"…let me say that I was and still am a die hard headbanger metal head from the early 80s and with regards to your website. Well Lorenzo you see that the state of Texas knew that I was only 3 months past my 18th birthday with no prior criminal record as a juvenile and no prior criminal record as an adult!…" […] "…they got him (the accomplice) to lie and say that I sang those lyrics to NO REMORSE to really make me look bad…" "…So they used heavy metal and its negative connotation from that song to inflame the jury against me! I have the utmost respect for Metallica and appreciate the genre breaking change that they brought to music and the dedication and belief in themselves back when no one would play their music on radio stations or on Mtv and yet they stuck to their guns and did not sell out to commercialism and continued to make music from the heart and I want to thank them for all the killer music and apologize to them for being negatively stereotyped by my case that it was a LIE perpetrated by the prosecution to get a death sentence of an 18 y.o. who had never been in trouble with the law before in his life!…"

"…I was into Dio, old Accept, old Judas Priest, old Iron Maiden, Motörhead, AngelWitch, Yngwie Malmsteen, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, old Scorpions, Saxon, old Rush, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Pantera, Misfits, Raven just to name a few."

"…I love beautiful women, rock n roll, fast cars and I used to love to smoke & drink as well! I went to a lot of big concerts and loved to party! I also love sports and dogs…" "…I believe in standing up for yourself and for what you believe in and those you love and care for always standing up for them as well!"

"…but you see my execution date is January 25, 2005…"

"No I don't want to die and no I don't believe that I deserve to die!"

Attached is the signature of the letter

Thnks to: Lorenzo - mymet.too.it

Discuss this story and more in the message forums