Displaying items by tag: Lisa M Lagos
Wednesday, 26 July 2017 12:00
Phillips Dead at 10:43
24 years after Ronald Phillips beat and raped his then-girlfriend's three year old daughter Sheila Marie Evans to death -- 24 years later -- Ronald Phillips is dead, his last words asking for forgiveness.
The official time of death was 10:43 a.m. The start time of the execution was briefly delayed so Phillips could meet with his brother William, who arrived at the Southern Ohio Correctional Institution in Lucasville this morning.
During his last statement, Phillips asked the Evans family for forgiveness for what he had done, and said Sheila Marie did not deserve what he did to her but was with the Lord. He also thanked his family and attorneys for their support and efforts.
WAKR's Ryan Lang was a witness to the execution. He reported no apparent distress from Phillips during the insertion of the needle, his final statement or when the mixture of three drugs began flowing into his body.
Renee Mundell, the half-sister of Sheila Marie, told reporters afterwards the execution was "too easy" on Phillips given the nature of his rape and the murder. She also noted family members would have a memorial service at the Vaughn Cemetery in Lake Milton, where Sheila is buried, at 3:00 p.m. to remember her with a balloon release and prayers.
Defense lawyers and death penalty advocates argued the process was unproven and could still cause distress for the inmate, leading to cruel and unusual punishment, after executions three years ago left some inmates gasping for more than 25 minutes. Phillips' brother and prayer counselors present for Phillips made no statements to the media following the execution.
(9:38p story correction for name of Evans half-sister)
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(Attorneys for Phillips) Statement of Timothy F. Sweeney and Lisa M. Lagos, attorneys for Ronald Phillips, on his execution today:
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Evans family for their loss. And to the Phillips family for theirs.
Ron Phillips committed an unspeakable crime when he was 19 years old, and was himself the product of a home filled with abuse and neglect. But the grown man who woke up this morning at age 43, ready to face his punishment, did not in any way resemble that troubled and broken teen. He had grown to be a good man, who was thoughtful, caring, compassionate, remorseful, and reflective. He tried every day to atone for his shameful role in Sheila’s death. In the past years, Ron has studied for and earned his certification to be a minister, and was preparing his first sermon. It was entitled “My People.”
Ron’s case suggests we should thoughtfully reconsider our laws that permit the harshest punishment for those who committed their crimes as teenagers, especially the irrevocable punishment of death.
We’ll end by saying that another thing Ron was regretful about today is that he would be unable to give that first sermon he’d been preparing. Having witnessed his execution this morning, and admiring the way he has carried himself these last months and years, we believe he did give that sermon, and it was a powerful one that serves as a testament of how to face death with dignity and courage and, above all, that no one is beyond redemption."
– Timothy F. Sweeney and Lisa M. Lagos, attorneys for Ronald Phillips, July 26, 2017
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