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Florida Executes Child Killer; Victim’s Dad Says Execution Is A Warning
February 13, 2014
As state lawmakers work to toughen laws against sexually violent predators, Juan Carlos Chavez, who committed the notorious 1995 murder of 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce in Miami-Dade County, was executed Wednesday at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Chavez, 46, who was visited only by a “spiritual adviser” on Wednesday, was pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m. The death came despite a last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
After the execution, Don Ryce, the father of Jimmy Ryce, said hopefully Chavez’ death will serve as a warning to sexual predators who find themselves on the verge of decisions similar to the one Chavez made nearly 19 years ago.
“I hope they will remember, it will be burned in their mind, four words, ‘Don’t kill the child,’ ” Ryce said during a brief televised press conference. “Because if you do, people will not forget, they will not forgive, we will hunt you down and we will put you to death.”
Chavez was convicted in 1998 of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of Jimmy Ryce. The brutal crime spurred the Legislature to pass the Jimmy Ryce Involuntary Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators’ Treatment and Care Act, known simply as the Jimmy Ryce Act.
The 1998 law lets the state indefinitely keep violent sexual predators behind bars by requiring them to undergo reviews for the risk of re-offending and to be committed at a secured treatment facility after completing their sentences.
“I doubt that there is anything I can say that would satisfy everybody, even less those who see in me nothing more than someone deserving of punishment,” Chavez wrote in his final statement that also expressed his belief in Christ.
Ryce’s dismembered body was found near an avocado grove three months after being abducted at gunpoint near his Redland school bus stop on Sept. 11, 1995. Ryce’s book bag was found in Chavez’ trailer.
The execution came on a day the state House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a slate of bills aimed at cracking down on sexually violent predators.
The measures (HB 7013, HB 7017, HB 7019, HB 7021, HB 7025 and HB 7027) would, in part, increase the mandatory minimum sentence for “dangerous sexual felony offenders” from 25 to 50 years; bar sexually violent predators from having their community supervision run at the same time that they are under civil commitment; and increase the amount of personal information that registered sexual predators and offenders must provide to authorities.
The bills were crafted following reports in the South Florida Sun Sentinel that nearly 600 sexually violent predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
The companion measures (SB 522, SB 524, SB 526, and SB 528) are scheduled to appear before the Senate Appropriations committee on Feb. 20.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has repeatedly said the intention of the legislation will be to make Florida “scorched earth” for sexually violent predators.
“Tonight ends a horrible chapter in the short life of Jimmy Ryce, but his legacy lives on through the lives saved and the children protected by the Jimmy Ryce Act,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a prepared statement.
The execution, initially scheduled for 6 p.m., was delayed for more than an hour as the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed and ultimately rejected a final appeal.
The U.S. Supreme Court action came hours after the Florida Supreme Court unanimously rejected a last-minute request for a stay based on a challenge to a new three-drug cocktail used in executions.
A brief order from the state court described the challenge as a “delaying tactic.”
Chavez also lost an appeal Monday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Comments
14 Responses to “Florida Executes Child Killer; Victim’s Dad Says Execution Is A Warning”
A first step to see if public executions would reduce violent crime is to see if it was less common when they were done. I don’t know but have read that in a time of public hangings of pickpockets, other pickpockets would rob the audience.
I disagree with any of you who think that anything can deter a deranged person. Just look at any sane person who smokes. 20 years later he gets cancer and now people feel sorry for him and pray for him when he knew all along what he was doing and knew what the result was likely to be. A truly deranged person will not think about the possible penalty for whatever they might do. That’s how their mind works. How can you change this? YOU CAN’T.. Solution? I have no idea but killing them is merely vengeance and we know what the bible says about that. (New Testament of course)
Sorry Jack I must disagree.
Speeding up the execution process DOES save taxpayer money.
I can almost assure you if we went back to public hanging or beheading violent crime would go down. 100 yrs ago the crime of rape was a capital offense in the state of Florida
China has the best judicial system. One appeal and you are free or they put a bullet in the back of our head.
The problem with these kind of solutions are they are devised and submitted by reasonable, sane minds. If criminals thought they would get caught, they wouldn’t commit the crime, so making the penalty harsher or executions faster will make no difference in stopping the crime. Also, criminals have a way of justifying their actions. If they believed the deed was wrong or bad, they won’t do it. So they use rationalizations like “I was trying to help or teach a lesson etc.” Similar to the reaction to a speeding ticket. The speeder wants to know why the police aren’t looking for “real” criminals or “because I was in a hurry, it’s alright to ignore the speed limit”. I don’t have a solution, but until someone can find one, our court system is the best we have.
18 years is too long. The taxpayers paid $1.8 million in housing, food and legal fees. Give them a 90 day appeal, then execute on day 120. The only good out of this was his victim was with God when he left this world.
There is a special place in hell for scum like this. I agree wholeheartedly with Anne. Instead of letting the scum live on while they eat up taxpayer money and breath good air someone more deserving could have they need to try, sentence and implement sentence no later than 18 months after they are convicted. When is enough going to be enough? Our children; babies, future leaders are being killed off or tragically scarred (both mentally, physically and emotionally) by these animals. Of course something else that could be done is once they are convicted place them in general population in prison….problem will be solved quickly by other inmates.
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT TO DEATH THE DAY AFTER HE WAS SENTENCED. 19 YEARS ON DEATH IS A JOKE.
@jeeperman, if you are advocating for public executions or even video recordings that can be released later, I’ll agree with that. I’ve also said here before that the method of execution should match the method used on the victims. In this case, the victim was murdered with a gun, then the killer should have been executed by a firing squad. If the execution is shown publicly or video is released, that might deter other criminals from commiting future murders. Put the FEAR of the execution process in their minds! They are not afraid of a simple injection that takes place 20+ years later. Make it soon and painful and the criminals and their enabling defense lawyers will think twice!
My heart breaks for this child and his family even after all these years. The judges need to get rid of these sub-humans one year from the date of the guilty verdict. It would stop at least half of these perverts in their tracts.
As long as the penalty is hidden behind cement block walls, potential criminals will not fear the possible punishment for their actions.
It’s sad it took so many years and the money it took to house him. Should have locked him in a room with Jimmy’s daddy bet it wouldn’t have taken do many years and so much money then.
…19 years later
better late than never!
Hell is a place.
Too long of a wait for justice.