Gary Lee Sampson
Encyclopedia
Gary Lee Sampson is a convicted murder
er in Massachusetts
, United States. He was raised in Abington, Massachusetts
. Before Sampson's conviction for murder he had served eight years imprisonment for robbing banks and had a criminal record some 25 years long.
), Jonathan Rizzo (aged 19 of Kingston, Massachusetts
), and Robert Whitney (aged 58 of Concord, New Hampshire
). The murders took place over the course of a week. Sampson told police that, after McCloskey picked him up hitchhiking
, he forced him at knifepoint to drive to a secluded area, where he tied him up with his belt and stabbed him 24 times. He also forced Rizzo to a secluded area, tied him to a tree, gagged him, and killed him.
. The day before the first murder he attempted to surrender to police. Telephone records confirmed that Sampson had called the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). As a fugitive who was facing charges in North Carolina
, Sampson could have been taken into custody. The call was accidentally disconnected by an FBI clerk, and no action was taken. After the murders, Sampson surrendered in Vermont
and confessed. He subsequently pleaded guilty.
, found guilty and on 23 December 2003 he was sentenced to death.The jury deliberated for ten hours after hearing six weeks of evidence. Sampson had pleaded guilty, so the jury did not need to decide whether he killed McCloskey and Rizzo. But the jury heard the murders described in graphic detail during the sentencing phase of the trial. Prosecutors portrayed Sampson as a ruthless, calculating killer who preyed on Good Samaritans. Massachusetts does not have the death penalty. Massachusetts abolished capital punishment in 1984. The last time the Commonwealth used the penalty was in 1973. It is the first time anyone in Massachusetts has been sentenced to die under the federal death penalty law.
Federal law was changed in 1994 to allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty when a murder is committed during a carjacking.
denied the Federal government consent to execute Sampson in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts because capital punishment is outlawed there, but New Hampshire
's then-Governor Craig R. Benson consented to doing it in that state, so U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf ordered that Sampson be executed in New Hampshire, which has the death penalty. He also ordered that Sampson be imprisoned in the Federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana
, while awaiting execution. (Terre Haute is where the Federal death house is located.) New Hampshire currently has one person on its death row, Michael "Stix" Addison
. Addison was convicted of killing a Manchester, New Hampshire
, police officer. On December 22, 2008, the judge on the case imposed a death sentence, along with 63 years' incarceration for prior convictions stemming from a crime spree in the week leading up to Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs' murder.
, David Ruhnke, said he would appeal
.
On January 26th 2004, Judge Wolf said on the record (United States v Gary Lee Sampson CR 01-10384 January 26 2004 page 21), that he found the testimony of the defense expert, Dr. Angela Hegarty to be more credible than that of the government's expert, Dr. Michael Wellner, with regards to whether the defendant suffered from Bipolar Disorder. The fact that the judge held this opinion however did not change the sentence. Not one of the jurors agreed that Sampson was mentally ill.
with writer and evangelical
minister
Deborah Murphy. The working title is The DNA of a Killer: Society's Child, Gary Lee Sampson. Murphy says the book is a warning to those with early mental illness of the warning signs. Murphy hopes that the book may sway the families of the victims to forgive Sampson and perhaps even speak out against his execution. Relatives have not so far indicated that this is likely. Scott McCloskey said
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States. He was raised in Abington, Massachusetts
Abington, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile . There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0 per square mile...
. Before Sampson's conviction for murder he had served eight years imprisonment for robbing banks and had a criminal record some 25 years long.
Offenses
In July 2001 Sampson carjacked and murdered three people: Philip McCloskey (aged 69 of Taunton, MassachusettsTaunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
), Jonathan Rizzo (aged 19 of Kingston, Massachusetts
Kingston, Massachusetts
Kingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the 2010 Census, it had a population of 12,629.-History:Before European settlers arrived in Kingston it was within the tribal home to the Wampanoag people...
), and Robert Whitney (aged 58 of Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
). The murders took place over the course of a week. Sampson told police that, after McCloskey picked him up hitchhiking
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
, he forced him at knifepoint to drive to a secluded area, where he tied him up with his belt and stabbed him 24 times. He also forced Rizzo to a secluded area, tied him to a tree, gagged him, and killed him.
Arguments raised in mitigation
While Sampson's offenses were particularly brutal, matters were raised in mitigationExtenuating circumstances
In law, extenuating circumstances in criminal cases are unusual or extreme facts leading up to or attending the commission of the offense which, though an offense has been committed without legal justification or excuse, mitigate or reduce its gravity from the point of view of punishment or moral...
. The day before the first murder he attempted to surrender to police. Telephone records confirmed that Sampson had called the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI). As a fugitive who was facing charges in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Sampson could have been taken into custody. The call was accidentally disconnected by an FBI clerk, and no action was taken. After the murders, Sampson surrendered in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and confessed. He subsequently pleaded guilty.
Federal case
Sampson was charged in a federal court in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, found guilty and on 23 December 2003 he was sentenced to death.The jury deliberated for ten hours after hearing six weeks of evidence. Sampson had pleaded guilty, so the jury did not need to decide whether he killed McCloskey and Rizzo. But the jury heard the murders described in graphic detail during the sentencing phase of the trial. Prosecutors portrayed Sampson as a ruthless, calculating killer who preyed on Good Samaritans. Massachusetts does not have the death penalty. Massachusetts abolished capital punishment in 1984. The last time the Commonwealth used the penalty was in 1973. It is the first time anyone in Massachusetts has been sentenced to die under the federal death penalty law.
Federal law was changed in 1994 to allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty when a murder is committed during a carjacking.
Place of planned execution
Then-Governor of Massachusetts Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
denied the Federal government consent to execute Sampson in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts because capital punishment is outlawed there, but New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
's then-Governor Craig R. Benson consented to doing it in that state, so U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf ordered that Sampson be executed in New Hampshire, which has the death penalty. He also ordered that Sampson be imprisoned in the Federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, while awaiting execution. (Terre Haute is where the Federal death house is located.) New Hampshire currently has one person on its death row, Michael "Stix" Addison
2006 Manchester, New Hampshire police shooting
The 2006 Manchester, New Hampshire police shooting was an incident that took place on October 16, 2006 in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. The incident occurred when police officer Michael Briggs was shot while on duty. Briggs was later transported to the hospital before dying of his...
. Addison was convicted of killing a Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, police officer. On December 22, 2008, the judge on the case imposed a death sentence, along with 63 years' incarceration for prior convictions stemming from a crime spree in the week leading up to Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs' murder.
States' rights protests
Death penalty opponents criticised the sentence, saying federal officials had ignored the will of Massachusetts voters. State lawmakers have defeated attempts to reinstate the state death penalty. Protesters outside the courtroom were holding "No Death Penalty in Massachusetts" signs and one girl said that the Federal government had "stepped all over a State which has consistently refused the death penalty."Appeal
Sampson’s lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, David Ruhnke, said he would appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
.
- "I respect the verdict, but I disagree with it. These are terrible crimes; the victims have suffered terribly," he said. "Those are very difficult circumstances for any jury to look beyond." It is expected that it could be six or seven years before Sampson exhausts all his appeals. As of July 2006 Sampson remains on death rowDeath rowDeath row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
.
On January 26th 2004, Judge Wolf said on the record (United States v Gary Lee Sampson CR 01-10384 January 26 2004 page 21), that he found the testimony of the defense expert, Dr. Angela Hegarty to be more credible than that of the government's expert, Dr. Michael Wellner, with regards to whether the defendant suffered from Bipolar Disorder. The fact that the judge held this opinion however did not change the sentence. Not one of the jurors agreed that Sampson was mentally ill.
Autobiography
Sampson has worked on an autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
with writer and evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
Deborah Murphy. The working title is The DNA of a Killer: Society's Child, Gary Lee Sampson. Murphy says the book is a warning to those with early mental illness of the warning signs. Murphy hopes that the book may sway the families of the victims to forgive Sampson and perhaps even speak out against his execution. Relatives have not so far indicated that this is likely. Scott McCloskey said
- "I will never forgive him, ... As far as I'm concerned, Gary Sampson is an evil man. And as far as the death penalty goes, he deserves it and I will be there when it happens."