Florida Man Executed For Killing Trooper With Pipe Bomb

February 27, 2014

Paul Augustus Howell, who was sent to Death Row for the 1992 murder of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, was executed Wednesday at Florida State Prison near Stark. Howell, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m., according to the Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

Howell, who had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as his final meal, was the 15th Death Row inmate executed in Florida since Scott took office in 2011. There were five executions during former Gov. Charlie Crist’s single term and 21 during the two terms of former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Howell was convicted in January 1995 in the death of FHP trooper Jimmy Fulford during a traffic stop three years earlier. Fulford was killed by a pipe bomb that Howell had put inside a microwave oven and placed in a gift-wrapped package. The bomb was intended for a Marianna woman who could identify Howell, who with his brother was involved in a South Florida drug ring, for a prior murder.

On Feb. 13 of this year, Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey ruled that a new lethal-injection drug used by the state would not violate Howell’s rights. The hearing, held in Jefferson County Circuit Court at the direction of the Florida Supreme Court, focused on the state’s use of midazolam hydrochloride as the first drug in a three-drug cocktail in executions. Midazolam, which the state began using last year, is supposed to anesthetize prisoners before the other drugs are administered.

Howell’s attorneys contended that the inmate has medical conditions that would lead to the drug not working properly, violating the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Comments

9 Responses to “Florida Man Executed For Killing Trooper With Pipe Bomb”

  1. Anne on March 1st, 2014 1:36 pm

    Having to have pets put down, no one will ever convince me it is cruel and inhumane. To hear how the victims were killed compared to lethal injection, I don’t even blink when their time is up.

  2. M in Bratt on February 28th, 2014 8:34 am

    They were using hanging as the preferred method of execution when the Constitution was written. It was modern day judges that have decided that various methods of execution are “cruel and unusual”. Maybe we need to change a bunch of judges, they are on the ballot every election.

  3. perdido fisherman on February 27th, 2014 10:55 pm

    I agree with you. Public execution does deter crime. I have seen this done up front and in person while living in Saudi Arabia. Public execution soes not stop crimes from happening but it sure did make it a rare occurence.
    people there leave thier doors to thier homes unlocked, thier cars unlocked, you didn’t hear about ANY robberies or car jackings of any nature. Zero kidnappings, no one defrauded anyone. it was nice place to live for the most part.
    The only so called sex crime i saw prosecuted was a case of adultery, the man and woman both were stoned to death after being put into a hole with only thier heads above ground.
    The only drug crime i saw executed was a guy from thailand who was caught by customs with 3 joints in a cigarette pack and they chopped his head off.
    There was one murder charge and the oldest son of the victim decided the fate of the defendant which was death.
    All of these punishments were carried out in the main souk which is a market place.

  4. Robert vaughn on February 27th, 2014 5:06 pm

    Why feed and house some one for 22 years if we are going to kill them anyway. I think a 10 year limit should be imposed to death row inmates on sole purposes of an appeal. If no chance at appeal terminate upon sentencing. As for the person who says we should bring back the rope I agree I believe public execution will stop a lot of crime. On the fact of people will see the system is no playing around.

  5. DW on February 27th, 2014 4:41 pm

    Barb. You my dear hit the nail on the head.

  6. Barb on February 27th, 2014 2:44 pm

    If we are going to use capital punishment as a determent, then we should do so. The majority of the murders were violent so why should the death penalty be so sterile and clinical? Bring back the hangings in the town square! Bring back the firing squad! Put the death penalty out there and maybe things will change!

  7. Mike J. on February 27th, 2014 8:57 am

    The method of execution should be in a manner similar to that which was used to kill the victim. In this case, the convicted murderer should have been killed with an explosive device. The “constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment” should be revoked. Put FEAR back into the execution process. They don’t fear the Death Penalty today.

  8. John on February 27th, 2014 6:24 am

    I would say the drug worked properly.

  9. Robert S. on February 27th, 2014 6:20 am

    Over 20 years waiting, now the family can have closure.

    Apparently, the attorneys for Howell can also have closure knowing that the drugs used in his execution did work as they should.