Who laughs last, laughs best

bye, bye

Mr. Dillbeck stabbed a cop, was imprisoned, escaped and then went on

DeSantos woke up in the Governor’s Mansion this morning, enjoyed a hearty breakfast, and went about his day — Mr. Dillard did not.

Donald Dillbeck, 59, said he spoke for all men, women and children in saying the governor of Florida could 'suck our d**ks' after his Supreme Court appeal to avoid the death penalty was denied Wednesday.

He chose a last meal of shrimp, mushrooms, onion rings, butter pecan ice cream, pecan pie and a chocolate bar before showing remorse for stabbing a woman to death in 1990.

Dillbeck was put on death row after he escaped from prison and stabbed Faye Vann, 44, more than 20 times and slit her throat in a shopping mall parking lot in an attempted carjacking.

It’s worth pointing out that Dillard, despite his professed concern for women and children, gave his victim no opportunity to say goodbye to her own children, or even enjoy a last meal; it’s regrettable that Florida was more generous to him.

The death penalty as applied in this country involves so much delay — decades, often, as here — between conviction and execution that it’s probably no deterrent, but at least in those states, like Florida that still isolate prisoners on death row as they await final judgment, 23-hours a day spent locked up in a 6X9 room allows plenty of time for reflection and repentance. I hope Mr. Dillbeck enjoyed his 32-year stay in those conditions; I know I wouldn’t.