Updated: Fri Mar. 13 2009 17:06:51

CTV.ca News Staff

A Chinese court sentenced a 19-year-old man to death Friday for murdering a Canadian model in Shanghai last year.

Diana O'Brien, a 22-year-old model from Salt Spring Island, B.C., was found stabbed to death last July on the staircase of the apartment building where she was staying.

In November, Chen Jun pleaded guilty to murdering O'Brien after trying to rob her.

In a written ruling Friday, Shanghai's Intermediary Court did not order Jun to be immediately executed. Instead, the court offered Chen a two-year probationary reprieve.

"He has two years to show good behaviour and if he proves this his sentence could be lowered to a life sentence to be served in jail or even lighter depending on his performance," CTV's Beijing Bureau Chief Steve Chao reported Friday.

Since punishments in China are often measured by social impact, Chen was expected to receive a harsher sentence because he murdered a foreigner and it happened right before the Olympics.

"In both cases it had the potential to embarrass China's government so many people expected a harsher sentence -- an immediate execution," Chao said.

He said Chen's lawyer told him that the court considered Chen's age and the fact that it wasn't a "planned murder" in its decision.

At his trial, Chen told the court today that he was trying to rob O'Brien in her apartment by threatening her with a knife but she ran out the door.

He said he then chased her down to a stairwell and stabbed her repeatedly.

Chen claimed in court the incident was a robbery gone awry. After the murder, Chen left the building without O'Brien's possessions but he returned later to pick them up.

Although Chen called police after leaving, O'Brien's body was discovered by her roommate in the morning.

Chen was arrested five days after the murder and police say he had O'Brien's camera, some of her jewelry and Canadian cash on him.

Chen's lawyer claimed his client was suffering from stress and depression at the time of the attack, and asked for psychiatric tests to be conducted.

He also accused police of not saving O'Brien's life after Chen reported the crime. O'Brien was in Shanghai on a contract with China's JH Model Agency.

However, when CTV tried to visit the agency in Shanghai, the office was not at the address listed.

Comments are now closed for this story

Bill from Wpg
So where are all those bleeding heart liberals demanding that we interfere with Shanghai's justice system and have his sentence commuted to life in prison (25 years) as it is in Canada. We can't have a double standard can we. No death penalty in Canada so anyone killing a Canadian should also be treated with No death penalty.

Roger T
An eye for eye, a tooth for tooth. Justice has been served.

Our laws in this country is a just joke, no wonder crime rate is so high and still rising through the roof.

Chris, Irishtown Nl
Well here's one section of Chinese law that has a punishment fitting the crime.

L B Harris
Maybe Canada could learn a lesson from the Chinese judiciary in what appears to be a very appropriate sentence in relation to the crime committed.

Gord
What a great idea, no repeat offenders in China. Good for the Chinese people a proper penal system with consequences that match the crime. I am in 100% agreement with this sentence.

Peaceplease
I'll be the bleeding heart liberal...murder is murder. If we kill this man, we are no better than him. It is as simple as that.

Michael Bembridge of London
Capital punishment is an irresponsible form of justice!

eastcostuni
I couldn't disagree more with the previous posts. The death penalty does nothing to deter future crimes beyond the killing of the condemned.
Poverty and unemployment in China are at massive levels. Solving these issues would have eliminated the convicted individual's need to steal. No theft, no murder.
The person was stated to have psychological problems so it's obvious the threat of the death penalty wouldn't have stopped him.
And to say the Canadian system can take advice from the Chinese is probably the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. You definitely have no grasp of the social and political authoritarianism that is present in China.

I'd say the first poster's summary of an eye for an eye defines the simplistic and short-sighted nature of most who support the death penalty.

James
They say an "eye for an eye makes the world go blind."

But you know, an eye for an eye makes gets rid of all the murderers from our streets.

Murder rate declining in Canada, w/o executions.
The homicide rate in Canada peaked in 1975 at 3.03 per 100,000 and has dropped since then; it reached lower peaks in 1985 (2.72) and 1991 (2.69). It reached a post 1970 low of 1.73 in 2003. The average murder rate between 1970 and 1976 was 2.52, between 1977 and 1983 it was 2.67, between 1984 and 1990 it was 2.41, between 1991 and 1997 it was 2.23 and between 1998 to 2004 it was 1.82. The attempted homicide rate has fallen at a faster rate than the homicide rate.

Bob in Tuktoyaktut
I don't trust the Chinese government.

But I'm glad CTV finally put a comment board with this article.

Ever since I heard about this guy's supposed confession, I've had my doubts. First there was no suspect, and then when the Canadian government started asking questions, about 5 minutes later this guy appears, with a signed confession. That sounds way too convenient.

I don't mind an eye for an eye too much, but with the Chinese, hmmm, I wouldn't want to be the bloke in the wrong place at the wrong time. This guy likely didn't get a fair trial, and he's just a scapegoat.

Mike Schell
Interesting that the penalties for crimes are based in part on the social impact they cause. One of the few aspects of Chinese law that strikes me as a good idea. Imagine the effect on gangs/drugs here, instead of hug-a-thug programs. Just a thought.

Ken
Capital punishment is barbaric and I'm glad we've done away with it in Canada. For a society to say that someone no longer has the right to exist is quite scary. Just because a life is wrongfully taken it doesn't mean that we have the right to take theirs. An "eye for an eye" is the reason why conflicts often get out of control and a mindset that does not lend itself well to a peaceful, enlightened, and forward thinking society.

melissa
"Our laws in this country is a just joke, no wonder crime rate is so high and still rising through the roof. " - Roger T

Actually crime rates in China and Asia as a whole are WAY higher than Canada for the ratio of people.

Not to mention that a lot of Canada's crime is petty, whereas in China it's hard-crime, murders, rapes, gangs, etc...

So I'd say our justice system isn't do as bad as it could be.

Greg - Signs and Wonders
Great!

The message is now clear for those from China, don't kill foreigners in China.

Mexico, are you taking notes?

Frank
Yada yada yada poverty, yada yada yada mental issues, what a bunch of BS.

God willing you never have a friend or family member who will be victim of a serious violent crime. Because if you do and the accused goes through our Canadian Justice system I am sure the justice served will leave you with a very very very sour taste in your mouth. I'm sure you won't be saying "oh poor him he was umemployed, he was depressed etc etc" when it hits closer to home.

Get educated and look at the current revolving door of our justice system and the punishment given to the offenders. Maybe harsher sentences and possible threat of their own death would help deter violent crimes like this.
Also take a look at the Chinese crime rates and murder rate per population, VS Canada, very interesting....

Jamie
Your comments are shocking.

If he had killed her in Canada, he wouldn't be sentenced to death, and I don't think Canadians should seek "an eye for an eye". We shouldn't be pleased that the death penalty is being used in other countries. THAT SAID, it is not our place, or Canada's place to interfere with the domestic politics, and judicial systems of other countries. This is a Chinese offender on Chinese soil, not the same thing as a Canadian offender in a foreign country (in which case, Canada could try to seek a penalty no harsher than Canada's max).

I think his probative sentence is very forward thinking for a country that still has a death penalty.

Doug BC
Well,I was one who argued against the death penalty in Canada decades ago.
Given a few decades to see the results on our streets,I can only believe that was a mistake.The so called age of enlightenment and political correctness,and the era of Trudeau-mania made a mockery of our justice system.
What was sold as a more compassionate system at that time,conveniently forgot to infomr Canadians that murderers would,on day,face few consequences at all.
While I'm still not a big fan of the death penalty,I don't think Canada can teach China anything about a justice system.So,given the mess we have here,it would be completeley inappropriate to advise China as to how they manage justice.If Canada expectx sovereignty in it's system,China must also have sovereignty there.
The death penalty doesn't deter crime?? I'd be willing to bet it deters this man.I also agree with "Gord",there are likely very few repeat offenders in China.
The first role of governement is to protect it's citizens.So,in the absence of LWOP,I'm with China on this one.And I totally disagree that the laws of Canada apply in any other country.If we try to make it so,then obviously the reverse would apply,and the laws of China would be applied here.
My apologies for oppossing the death penalty so many years ago.But until we develope a justice system in Canada,I now stand with China on this issue.

Deborah in Montreal
Don't buy it one bit. They wanted to resolve this case very quickly so they struct a deal with some sap to take the fall - that's why they are not going to execute him now - or later!

An Apt Sentence For A Hideous Crime
I was very much against capital punishment until I had children of my own. My views changed after my first child was born and I can only imagine the pain and anguish the the poor parents of that beautiful young woman must endure for the rest of their lives.
Please don't label me as draconian, barbaric or a reactionary, poorly educated rube. I am neither of these. I do, however, believe that the world is a better place without certain people in it.

Ken In Wpg
He is not to be immediately executed. He has two years to show good behaviour and if he proves this his sentence could be lowered to a life sentence to be served in jail or even lighter depending on his performance. Perhaps if we did this with all murderers they would act more responsibly while incarcerated. Let their actions after the crime show that they can be rehabilitated and their life will be spared or sentence reduced. If they don't toe the line then adios amigo!

TL
Just to clarify, a life sentence in Canada is just that, a life sentence. The 25 years refers to when they are eligible for parole, no guarantees they'll get it. If you're going to complain about the Canadian Justice System, learn the facts first.

TimT
"They say an "eye for an eye makes the world go blind."

But you know, an eye for an eye makes gets rid of all the murderers from our streets."

Yeah that really works wonders in the states where they still execute murderers doesn't it.

Graham in Regina
I agree totally with Deborah in Montreal, they needed a fall guy quickly. If he was the real killer his organs would already be on the market for transplant.

Pip
It is interesting to note the poster who cites declining rates of murder, manslaughter and attempted murder: so many per hundred thousand, beautiful statictics, but with no reference to the population of our nation.

So, if our population has grown by nearly fifty percent since 1975, but the murder rate only drops by about 28%, how many *fewer* crimes were committed or attempted? As well, we have further obfuscation by first referring to homicide, then a different set of numbers for murder.

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics - forgot who said that - and this seems to be an attempt to indicate that there are fewer murders by omitting crucial information. Anyone with a calculator can see that the actual NUMBER of crimes is higher.

As another poster noted, that is one murderer who will never re-offend, and will not cost China his prison stay, while we spend tens of thousands of dollars on prisoners, with no payback in many cases, as they go out and reoffend.

Perhaps china is not so "blessed" with liberal thinkers. . .

Hell_N
Capital punishment is barbaric, agree absolutely. However, sometimes in cases of mass-murderers it seems to be quite appropriate... Why we should not accept the death penalty as a mean of punishment is because of existence of wrongfully charged with crime they did not commit (just remember the story of this doctor who intentionally wrongly testified on the children deaths... First, parents lost their kids and had to live with it, second, he ruined they lives and how many parents would be executed if the policy "eye for eye" would still exist????) Just an example.

David in Toronto
I'm so tired about the argument whether captial punishment acts as a deterent or not. That's not a proper argument for the debate. The proper argument is justice. Any sort of deterence is just a bonus to the real argument, a punishment that fits the crime.

David Webb
All of you who think you are so sensitive and forward-thinking, think about this:
Think about that poor girl, dying alone in a filthy stairwell in China, thousands of miles from anyone family, friends, or anyone that cared about her.
Think that the last person she ever saw was that filthy pig who put a KNIFE IN HER CHEST 25 times.
Think what she must have been going through, lying there, in the last moments of her life.
Think about how she suffered, slowly dying in excruciating agony, blood pumping from her chest on to the cold ground in a filthy stairwell, with no one to help, no one to hold her.
Can you even begin to imagine?
Think how her last thoughts could have been about seeing the smiling faces of her family and friends, her childhood, or crying out to God, wondering how the world can be so inexplicably vicious and cruel.
Think about how that murdering pig just walked away without a second thought for what he just did to another human being, and how cruelly he did it.
And then you think about this: if it happened to someone YOUR daughter, YOUR sister, YOUR friend...would you still consider yourself a forward-thinking person to let this pig stay alive, while he pretends to behave, all the while biding his time until he can kill again?
Anyone who kills another, who takes a life because of greed, jealousy .... has crossed the line.
He took away a LIFE. Can you even begin to comprehend this? This isn't a TV show.
That innocent girl didn't get up and walk away after being STABBED 25 TIMES, ok?

Dan in Red Deer
Some people say capital punishment does not prevent crime..well will thise guy kill anyone else??? NOPE! We should let the Chinese take some of these gang bangers that are running around shooting everything that moves in our cities.

Terryb Bloom
TB In Kingston.
I agree with the sentence ! My question to all those advocating life in prison only is, "What are the costs to put a person in jail for life" Simply put the costs are huge. Using the figures of Government of Canada website for 1998-99 its $87,135 per year for maximum security for a male offender. Do the math ! Based on 50 years the cost would be $4,356,750, and those are old numbers. New regional facilities ring in at $113,610. ($5,680,500 total) Which is the better choice,execution or jail for life ? Hope that stimulates some discussion !

Chinese Justice
I don't normally agree with the way the Chinese goverment works, but this is one case where they show they are better off with a strong judiciary and legal system. You can argue against the death penalty, but the criminal clearly knew he was going to die for his crime. He panicked and stabbed the fleeing victim in the hopes of getting away with it.

The fact he was caught is a lesson for the rest of the unemployed poor who want to invade a home and steal from a foreigner. Look at the stats after that point on how many others do that same thing. Tell me that's not a decentive.

We should make the family pay for incarceration, that would change the value of going to jail here.

RIP Diana O'Brien

Faith
I agree with Deborah - I rather doubt that this is the murderer.
Chinese "justice" for the world view. Sad.
What is worse, is that the world believes.
Sad

Dani - Red Deer
This actually seems like a good compromise between two extremes. He took a life. It really doesn't matter that she was Canadian, he took a life. He is sentanced to death...maybe. He has a chance to prove that he can change, can be different, and will then face what many consider a more politically just punishment.
With the limited information I have, I consider this to be an intelligent form of justice.

Retired Soldier in Kingston, ON
To readers of this web page
eager for their "pound of flesh!":

The crime(s) committed to this young, beautiful woman in China are despicable and tragic! But killing this young man won't bring her back!

As a soldier who served in Sarejevo, Bosnia I can assure you all, from personal experience, that vicious retribution for crimes committed to the innocents does not necessarily work in favour of the best interests of the state, or rehabilitate hate-filled populations.

As Mahatma Ghandi of India once said in dealing with sectarian hate and "vigilante justice":

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind!"

Jesus Christ also addressed a hate filled crowd, regarding a whore, about to be stoned to death by the Jewish community:

He said: "he among you who is without sin, let him / her cast the first stone"

When the crowd dispersed he asked the whore, "Woman - where are your accusers?!!"

Lets all therefore, petition the Chinese government for clemency to imprison and rehabilitate this young man; its not to late!

A meeting with the victim's family, an apology,a sentence of 12 years min hard labour and ultimately, community service and a meaningful job would prove more productive for China and her people then execution of the criminal.

The interests of humanity would thereby be better served than having this criminal killed and his legacy being - having his organs harvested for foreign bio-med firms by
Chinese authorities!

Pro Patria!

Julian from N. Van
"'An eye for an eye' makes the whole world blind," quoted Ghandi.

I'm not too fond of the Chinese government myself; all they're concerned with is protecting their public image while suppressing those who oppose them. But in this case, I think that it was a good idea to let them handle Chen. I'm never fond of execution as a sentence (solitary confinement in prison would've been better, imo), but at least they have a tougher justice system than the non-existent one in Canada.

Gail (Hamilton)
I don't believe in taking another's life no matter what the circumstances are. The threat of death from government or from another citizen is equally abhorent. If you take a life, you should spend the rest of your life in jail, with no chance of parole. We have too many laws, too many excuses, and too many making a mockery of our justice system.

jamez
@Deborah in Montreal - From what information about this case that is available on the internet I think you are right Deborah. Apparently the "Agency" she was supposed to get a job from disappeared and could not be found after her murder.

Jared
I don't think it's appropriate punishement. He is a victim too. Drivers to his crime are to blame too, whether it be the media, society...etc...Yes, I am sympathetic towards Diana and her fate, but I believe we should have mercy on Chen too. He needs to be rehabilitated. We can all learn from his experience. He could be a contributor to society once again. We should be a merciful society, not one that leaves people in the cold when people need us the most. What purpose would murdering Chen serve? What irony is this? Then all would be lost in this ordeal, not only Diana.

PBW in WPG
Dave from Toronto says "The proper argument is justice" and he is quite correct. Go into any courtroom and you find only the law.

Recently, a Winnipeg court determined that a man was not legally responsible for beheading a passenger on a Greyhound bus, a most heinous act. The man will go to a secure psychiatric hospital, where, no doubt, after a couple of years treatment, he will be pronounced fit to rejoin society with his mental illness controlled - who knows, even cured? - and justice will not have been served, only the law.

In the case above, both the law and justice seem to have been served.

Chris, Irishtown NL
I love the comment that capital punishment is no deterrant - who cares if it is a deterrant or not!! Capital punishment is a great solution to avoid having taxpayers fund a social welfare system (3 squares a day) for a "person" who doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as us. If you find a rat in your house it isn't released, nor do you keep it as a pet.

Lynn from London
What has happened to punishment for the crime and the protection of society as a whole? Someone always seems to make excuses for these crimes. If someone is convicted (and with DNA now there should be no doubt), then appropriate punishment should be given both for justice to be served and then for protection of the rest of society.

MW in Thunder Bay
For all its shortcomings, at least China has the proper penalty for 1st degree murder. If this murder would have been committed in Canada, I'm sure it would somehow have been society's fault and since the killer is only 19, more youth outreach and community programs would be required.

Our Weak Justice System
Please TL, anyone with firing synapses in the grey matter knows that the Canadian justice system is a bloody joke. Ask any police officer who arrests, charges and collects evidence to convict the obviously guilty only to have some judge dismiss the sentence or provide a limp slap on the wrist. And no, 25 years is not "life". If a 20 year-old receives a life sentence then he may be out when he is 45. The average age for men in Canada is in their late seventies. That individual has at least 3 decades left. Instead of lecturing us about getting the facts perhaps your time might be better spent learning remedial math.
Criminals belong in prisons. Really bad criminals belong in prison for a long, long time.

Don from Ottawa
The comments in this forum are evidence of the support for capital punishment which still exists in Canada today. Support has ranged in the 50-70% range over the years ever since it was abolished over 30 years ago.

And you thought we lived in a democracy.

Malcom
Peaceplease. So if a thief takes something and we take his freedem away, that makes us just as bad as him? Think of the word "punishment" before you talk.

Mike
If the convicted shows rehabitilation and is later released - and murders again - who will be responsible ?

Though I applaud the move against immediate execution I support the death penalty.

China ? For Guidance ?
I am in a bit of shock when i read the comments on here. Are people really considering the Chinese justice system as a beacon of hope for us? A justice model we should follow? Does this not sound strange to any of the people who are praising their system?

Wow, our society is changing or else memories are very short. I did not ever expect Canadians to be making comments about how we should follow China's example on these issues.

I hope that we do not look to China for leadership and ideas in this area. If we are, we really do have a huge vacuum in our own moral values.

L
To all those saying the death penalty is barbaric, what's REALLY barbaric is allowing these... people(?) out of jail in a couple of years to kill someone else! What's REALLY barbaric is to defend someone who has brutally taken the life of another and gets to go on living while their victim(s) rot in the ground, leaving the victims' family in eternal mourning.

Obviously all those opposed to the death penalty have never been hit close to home otherwise they would be singing a whole different song. What needs to be accepted in today's society is that there are a lot of violent killers out there who are just too dangerous to be kept alive. We need to think of civilian protection first. No one would want what happened to this girl to happen to someone they love, and would do anything in their power to prevent it. Communist government or not, China has the right idea when it comes to justice.

guppies
To :
Malcom
Peaceplease. So if a thief takes something and we take his freedem away, that makes us just as bad as him? Think of the word "punishment" before you talk.

The thief have no right to take your life away too to start with.

He start it, we finish it.

Now we are talking.

John Boy
For those who are against capital punishment, we are not killing them by dishing out capital punishment, we're just removing them from life as we know it on earth, let those in the next level beyond decide their eternal fate, with the victim, as witness to their dirty deed.

Rhonda Pick Enderby
The death penalty does nothing to deter future crimes beyond the killing of the condemned. Right!However,the condemed here ,won't be running loose killing whenever HE WANTS something he can't afford.Did he not take this innocent persons life cause he wanted her laptop?I can remember when Canada had capital punishment,and hearing people gasp,in horror when somebody was going to the gallows.Murders were few and far between..........maybe we need the death penality back,a few hangings and I think you there'd be a drop in homicides

Cara
Well Said, Roger T.

Kevin in Vancouver
Does the death penalty deter crime, I'm not sure to be honest I think some people may be detered others involved in spontaneous crimes probably not.
Does using the death penalty make us murderers absolutly not! One thing that everyone needs to consider is this: it is a lot cheaper than prison for 25 years and then welfare for the rest of the persons life.
All the uncompromising liberal thinkers out there should consider that.
Here's your choice $70,000 a year per murderer or better health care,child care, education for the law abiding.

Raymond from SK
It never ceases to amaze me that in Canada we still have that small percentage of individules who believe in the "eye for an eye".

Bleeding hearts??? How about human rights?? There is a reason we dont execute people in this country, and while I wont say who is right or wrong I will say that I for one am thankful.

How many "murderers" are now being found innocent in Canada alone based on new evidence and dna revelations?? (woman in Ontario recently released after 14 years imprisonment after being wrongfully convicted)

China is a country that censors their news, newspapers, tv, and even internet- let's not forget this country steps all over their peoples rights each and every day- the rights you can so freely express here.

This was a beautiful woman, someones daughter, a friend and from our "Canadian family" I resepect and mourn for her entire family.

This man plead guilty and will be punished accordingly-however why is it the ignorant and insensitive continuously go back to the "death penalty" as their strong arguement. Get educated about that country, their people and lifestyle, and find some human decentcy- "an eye for an eye will leave us all blind"

DWR from Vancouver
This is to Murder rate declining in Canada, w/o executions.
There are lies, dammed lies and statistics.

Remember this with statistics you can make them say any thing you want.

A left-leaning Albertan!
Okay people, "an eye for an eye" does not mean you kill, and then we as a society kill you, it's intended to mean equal justice for all, regardless of status.

Read the post about Canadian crime statistics.
Crime, including violent crime, is declining in Canada.

Turn off the redneck radio and get your facts straight.

Jim Hill
A number of posters state that Capital punishment is unfair. I feel that one of the worst crimes imaginable is when a convicted killer is let out on parole early and kills again. Since this country will not allow Capital Punishment, sentences for murder should make life imprisonment mandatory and not the current definitition of 25 years, but life! A killer should be off the streets for the same amount of time as his/her victims.

GoodGuy
I'm sick of hearing that the death penalty won't deter future murders. I don't care if it does or dosn't. I care that if you feel that you have the right to take an inocent life, then your life will be taken as well. If you don't like the death penalty then volunteer to have these convicted killers live next to you once there out!! Well we know that's not going to happen!!

Fred in Edmonton
Does this make you Mad or Sad?

That seems to be the main divide in the pro/anti death penalty argument.

Upon reading a story like this, some people react with anger, an action emotion. They respond with a desire to strike back, to get even. Call it justice, or call it revenge, their anger won't be sated until someone pays the ultimate price for the crime.

Then there are those who react with sadness, more of an introspective response. They ask why and how could such a thing happen, but they recognize that whatever happens now, whatever the punishment, nothing can bring back what was taken, or right the wrong.

We all find ourselves on one side or the other. Personally, stories like these only make me sad. I can't say how I would react if the victim was a close friend or relative. To those who have been in that situation, I can't begin to comprehend your loss. To those who have not, but who react 'Mad', think about the anger and rage you are feeling, and try not to let it define you, for it can consume you.

Garry in NS
"An eye for an eye" . . . now, where did I hear that before. Oh yes, it is coming to me now . . . it's called Sharia Law and is practiced by Islamic Fundamentalists! Seriously, it cost the taxpayer a lot more to execute someone than to keep them in prison. Also, mistakes are always made. When they are made, you can't correct them. In my 20 years as a Canadian Serviceman, I visited many countries. I will take our justice system over any others. Also, there is a very big difference between justice and revenge.

Joe Who?
What a joke nation we are.

We spend 10s of millions of tax payer's hard earned dollars to keep a criminal like Mr. Lai in Canada because we are afraid he will face death penalty if deported back to China. On the other hands we are applauding the death sentence for a poor young man who killed a CANADIAN while she trying to stop the robbery. Is it all dirty politics (we just want to mess up with China because they are becoming richer than us) or it is Mr. Lai's fat illegal money hidden in Swiss banks could one day stimulate our economy?

Davide, Sudbury
If you ask me, the death penalty is too easy. I say, put 'em to work extracting resources or doing extra-territorial labour for the government for as long as their crime deems necessary, with any of the money they would be making paying for their incarceration and any extra going into the Treasury

Nate From The North
I see a lot of people on here making the case "an eye for an eye." This leads me to believe that they are following christian religious beliefs. One needs to realize that "an eye for an eye" is in the old testament. If you consider yourself a true christian, you would believe that the New Testament superceeds the old testament in moral conduct as spoken by Jesus. Therefore, which should you follow, an eye for an eye in the old testament, or Jesus' words, "turn the other cheek." However, if you would rather follow the old testament, then wouldn't God's 10 commandments superceed other portions of the text? So wouldn't the commandment "thou shall not kill" superceed "an eye for an eye?"

Nate From The North
"...there are those who say that execution is justified because it prevents a murderer from ever again committing the same crime. It certainly does. But if you rely on that reasoning, you are killing a man not because his death may deter other from following in his footsteps, but because of what he might possibly do at some future time. To justify such preventive execution, there would have to be some reasonable grounds for believing that a convicted murderer, if released into society, would murder again. In fact, the probability lies strongly in the other direction.
We know of only four people who have been found guilty of murder by a Canadian court, and convicted of murder a second time. IN order to be absolutely sure that no murderer would murder again, we would have to take the lives of all persons convicted of either first or second degree murder, even though the probability is that an infinitesimal percentage of them would ever murder again if allowed to live. That's an unacceptably high price to pay in human lives for a sense of security insignificantly greater than we have now."
P.E.T.- June 15, 1976
The statistic to point out is that at that point only 4 times in the history of Canada (which at that time was 109 yrs old) only 4 people convicted of murder actually murdered again once released.

Rich
Being executed by the governing authority after a proper trial and undeniable evidence is not murder. The government is only doing what it is suppost to do. Send the murderer to the REAL judge.

Nate From The North
Some people have said that it's more economical to execute a murderer than keep one in jail. Recently the state of Kansas has put a bill forward to abolish the death penalty in that state because it is more expensive to execute a prisoner than to keep him in jail. So it appears that people who think it is more cost effective to execute than to jail should look at the numbers

Larry Williams
"Peaceplease", for goodness sakes, would you think first before spilling your guts!

Capital punishment is punishment for a crime, NOT murder!! Think about it!