May 13, 2005
2:01 a.m. EST
The state of Connecticut is scheduled to execute Michael Bruce Ross, a white man, on May 13, 2005 for the 1983 and 1984 New London County murders of Robin Stavinsky and minors Wandy Baribeault, Leslie Shelley, and April Brunais. All four victims were white.
If the death sentence is carried out, it will be the first execution in Connecticut in nearly 45 years. In 1994, the Supreme Court overturned Ross's death sentence because the jury had not been able to consider evidence that the murders were the result of sexual sadism, a psychiatric disorder. At a re-sentencing in 2000, the jury rejected the sexual sadism claim as a mitigating factor and once again sentenced Ross to death.
Ross, a graduate of Cornell University, has been diagnosed with mental illness by several mental health professionals, including the state’s own psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Miller.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ross’ childhood consisted of abuse from his mother. His siblings testified at trial that he often received the brunt of their mother’s anger through physical and mental abuse. Ross’ mother was institutionalized twice for issues pertaining to suicidal tendencies and for the abuse of her children.
One psychiatrist who evaluated Ross, Dr. Borden, stated, “All you have to do is look at the Norwich hospital records…and right there in black and white they talked about the child abuse going on….” Borden went on to note that there is reason to believe that the abuse was serious as it was rarely documented at that time.
After spending years trying to prove that he is suffering from a mental illness which he says drove him to rape and kill eight women in total, Ross now says he prefers to be executed. He claims he believes it to be the least painful scenario for the families of his victims.
The execution of the mentally ill is a deplorable violation of international human rights standards. In April 2000, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights urged all states that maintain the death penalty "not to impose it on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder” and “not to execute any such person."
Ross was schedule for execution on Jan. 26, 2005but received a stay when questions regarding his competency and legal counsel halted his execution.
The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles is not able to grant clemency because Ross has refused to file a clemency petition at this time. Please write to Gov. Jodi Rell asking her to grant Mr. Ross clemency on the grounds that the execution of the mentally ill violates international human rights standards.
