Florida Executes Convicted Murderer

June 13, 2013

Convicted murderer William Van Poyck was pronounced dead at 7:24 p.m. EDT Wednesday after receiving a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, the Department of Corrections announced.

Van Poyck, 58, was sentenced to death for his role in the 1987 killing of a corrections officer in Palm Beach County. Van Poyck and another man, Frank Valdes, ambushed a prison van in an attempt to free an inmate on his way to an appointment with a dermatologist.

In a last-ditch appeal, Van Poyck argued that he had received ineffective legal counsel and that an affidavit provided newly discovered evidence showing he was not the triggerman in the killing of Officer Fred Griffis.

However, the Florida Supreme Court on June 6 rejected the appeal, writing that his argument “does not negate the fact that Van Poyck instigated the escape attempt and fired numerous shots in their attempt to flee the scene.”

Comments

10 Responses to “Florida Executes Convicted Murderer”

  1. Terri Sanders on June 13th, 2013 8:52 pm

    Justice was only half way done…this man lived WAY too long..

  2. David Huie Green on June 13th, 2013 5:42 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Execution is simply legalized state (secular societal) violence. Violence to solve violence. More pain, more suffering. Revenge, not justice.”

    It isn’t especially violent, a needle in the arm, a gentle one-way trip to sleep. Even less violent would be switching air with nitrogen so he just dies of anoxia without even the awful pain of a needle prick, but such is not used.

    Nonetheless, violence obviously solves violence. Killed killers never kill again.

    But since it is unpleasant, please tell us how to achieve justice by some other means. Tell us what you believe Jesus would have us do with people who kill other people without compunction. Convince us your solution would be justice.

    David for justice

  3. mick on June 13th, 2013 9:42 am

    Ineffective legal counsel claim/effective lethal injection…

  4. Duh on June 13th, 2013 8:49 am

    To Duh, the moral compass bears true when you head in a direction of your true North.
    With no consequence of actions as this there would be no order in the world.
    The path you choose in life is your destiny- not to be taken lightly and certainly not to be obtuse of what this murderer did.
    The world is not today what it was when our father walked this land. Those people evolved to where we are today.
    We are descendants of evil and good.
    Look how Christ died.. are you saying before he died for us it was any different then with violence than now.
    The compass of morality was corrupt from the beginning with Adam and eve .

    God gave us free will..you choose the path. But no one can make you follow it.
    They didnt have video games and nudity on tv back then..so Duh– what do you now really blame in society that hasnt been here since the beginning of time.
    Pro life was back then and pro death.
    The world has changed– but it remans the same.
    Different time – same world- different players.

    Who do we really blame…look in the mirror.
    We are not perfect and we really Duh…should not judge others at it really defines us when we do. Not ” them”
    Prayers to you to help yo understand.

  5. Earl Baldree on June 13th, 2013 7:53 am

    I remember this incident. It sure took al long time!!!!

  6. David on June 13th, 2013 7:30 am

    This is terrible…what took so long

  7. Duh on June 13th, 2013 7:06 am

    Murder is awful. Plain and simple. No disagreement that the crime killed another person, impacting that innocent man’s family and loved ones.

    In our society, we seek revenge, and often rename revenge “justice”. Christ’s words in St. Matthew 5:38-48 counters the revenge mentality of our times.

    Being pro-life on the pregnancy end of life, and pro-death on the end, or anti-death on the end (in the case of the euthanasia issue), pro-gun, anti-murder, against war in one breath, and pro-war in the next, against TV violence, then thriving on violent movies and games, etc. simply shows how contorted our societal values have become when it comes to life, death, and the well-being of the heart. No wonder young people (and older ones, too) lack a moral compass. The needle is simply spinning in all directions.

    Christ’s words, both in the verses referenced above and in other scripture, point to seeking peace.

    Execution is simply legalized state (secular societal) violence. Violence to solve violence. More pain, more suffering. Revenge, not justice.

    Christ did not teach this.

  8. 429SCJ on June 13th, 2013 6:20 am

    They would have made quite the trio, reminds me of Luke, Dragline and Coco.

    The inmate that was being transported for treatment should die also, if he was a conspirator.

  9. c.w. on June 13th, 2013 5:11 am

    It took over 25 years to carry out this mans sentence. He lived almost half his life at the tax payers expense. If convicted, carry out their sentence in a timely manner.

  10. David Huie Green on June 13th, 2013 4:38 am

    CONCERNING:
    “. . . . he was not the triggerman in the killing of Officer Fred Griffis.”

    He took part in a murder, knowing they were going to murder but figured it mattered which one did what part of the murder? After 26 years he still hadn’t figured it out.

    David for fewer murderers