Dear editor,

I read the Great Bend Tribune article about the Hoisington man, Chaz Stevens, being sentenced to 21 years for the murder of his then girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter. Such acts are barbaric and such heinous murders of young children seem to becoming more frequent these days, all across the nation. Something is drastically wrong when a culprit does such a crime of taking a human life. Although I am pro-life in normal situations from conception until old-age death, I am pro death penalty for the most gruesome of acts, which are unredeemable.

Warehousing a murderer for 21 or 50 years hasn’t “corrected” men such as Sirhan Sirhan (killer of Robert F. Kennedy). Nor did long incarceration “correct” the late Charles Manson. I believe in redemption in most cases. However, the recent case involving the Hoisington man calls for the death penalty.

I express condolences to the little girl’s family and all I can say is: Such violent murders of innocents are unfathomable. The death-penalty if implemented when absolute guilt is verified 100% for accurate is the appropriate remedy in such cases, not warehousing (jailing) for two decades.

James A. Marples

Esbon