NORTH CAROLINA
May 6, 2005
2:00 a.m. EST
On May 6, 2005 at 2:00 a.m., the state of North Carolina is scheduled to execute Earl Richmond Jr., a black man, for the July 1992 murders of Helisa Hayes and her two children, Phillip and Darien, in Cumberland County.
Richmond, heavily intoxicated on crack cocaine and alcohol, went to the Hayes residence on Nov. 2, 1991. There, he and Ms. Hayes engaged in an act of consensual sex. Shortly thereafter, the two became embroiled in a heated argument. The argument became violent, with Ms. Hayes hitting Richmond and Richmond, in return, punching her in the face. Richmond then raped and killed Ms. Hayes. Afterwards, Richmond killed her son and daughter.
Richmond fully confessed to the triple homicide. He was charged with the rape and murder of Ms. Hayes and the murders of her two children. At trial, he pled not guilty to all charges. The jury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree rape. It imposed three death sentences and one term of life imprisonment on Richmond for his crimes. Richmond’s trial lasted only two days.
Richmond’s mitigating circumstances are substantial. He was forced to endure a harsh, abusive childhood. As a child, he suffered from physical and verbal abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father. Additionally, one of his sisters claims that there is a possibility that he was sexually abused by their father.
A psychologist and psychiatrist that examined Richmond testified that he was severely depressed, possessed a personality disorder, and suffered from substance abuse. They concluded that these conditions, coupled with his troubled upbringing, significantly lessened his ability to act in accordance with the law.
In addition to these unfortunate circumstances and impairments, Richmond’s alcohol consumption and drug use on the night prior to the murders puts into question the extent to which he was able to act with premeditation. One of Richmond’s sisters testified that she witnessed Richmond consume an excessive amount of alcohol at a party that evening. Additionally, she admits that she and Richmond both smoked crack cocaine later on in the night. The large quantity of alcohol consumed by Richmond and his use of crack cocaine suggest that Richmond’s ability to plan the Hayes’ murders was significantly impaired.
Richmond’s behavior during the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 1991 was most likely a product of an unhealthy upbringing and substance abuse problems. He deserves treatment—not death. Write to Gov. Mike Easley of North Carolina and inform him of your opposition to the execution of Earl Richmond Jr.
