Nevada

Robert McConnell

June 9, 2005

9:00 pm

The state of Nevada is scheduled to execute 32-year old Robert McConnell, a white man, on June 9, 2005 for the August 2002 murder of Brian Pierce in Washoe County.

McConnell began dating April Robinson in 2000.  In the spring of the following year, Robinson ended her relationship with McConnell.  McConnell was terribly distraught over the break up, but Robinson quickly moved on.  She soon began dating Pierce and roughly eight months later, the couple became engaged.

McConnell never fully recovered from his breakup with Robinson.  He candidly admitted at trial, “I should have got [some] counseling maybe to deal with some […] issues.”  His closest friends attested to his inability to shake his feelings for Robinson, labeling McConnell as “very, very depressed” and “suicidal.”

McConnell’s emotional turmoil erupted on the evening of Aug. 7, 2002 and led to his decision to take Pierce’s life.

McConnell was arrested less than a week later and charged with first-degree murder and two lesser offenses.  Prior to the plea proceedings, McConnell fired his court-appointed attorneys and requested permission to represent himself, which was subsequently granted by the court.  He then entered guilty pleas for all charges.  The pleas were accepted and the trial moved into the sentencing phase.

During sentencing, McConnell expressed sincere remorse for the death of Pierce.  He stated, “It hurts me now […] I am sorry for what I did […] I really am.”  He explained that the murder was a result of severe “emotional duress.”  McConnell also stated that if a death sentence was imposed by the jury, he would accept it and forego all appeals if it would help Pierce’s family achieve closure and lessen their grief.

After McConnell chose not to present a closing statement, the jury retired for deliberations.  They emerged about 2 hours later and sentenced McConnell to death for the killing of Pierce.

With the exception of an automatic appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court that he reluctantly allowed the Nevada Public Defender’s Office to file on his behalf, McConnell has remained steadfast to his pledge to waive his appeals.  In a motion that he filed with the court after his trial, McConnell stated, “I accept this sentence and wish to proceed with that punishment.”

Of the 11 people who have been executed in Nevada since the state’s reinstatement of capital punishment in 1973, 10 have been so-called “volunteers,” like McConnell.  Because a high proportion of “volunteers” are believed to suffer from some form of mental illness, the state of Nevada should not permit its death row inmates to expedite their deaths by waiving their appeals.

Please write to Gov. Kenny Guinn and request that he not allow the execution of Robert McConnell to proceed.