Verdict: Death

The case of People v. Morales was resolved today. The defendant, Alfonso Ignacio Morales, received the death penalty on 4 counts of murder with special allegations. The link provides the gist of the story as it happened more than 3 years ago. Morales slashed Mr. Ruiz's throat, stabbed his wife 42 times, stabbed the invalid 75 year old grandmother to death, and then raped the 8 year old little girl and drowned her in a bathtub (he also mutilated the little girl's genitals, which suggests sexual torture). The pictures of the victims in this case are the ones that I've seen. They are the ones that I've had nightmares of. I feel tremendous sadness for the victim's family, for whatever justice they get from the justice system (even the utmost severe of punishment) must seem to be of small comfort compared to what they've lost. It is a sad and weighty day for all of us, as while Morales deserves everything he gets, the thought of killing a human being weighs heavy on my mind, despite the fact that I do not object to the death penalty.