NEW YORK, 27 FEB - Dopo essere stato svuotato a gennaio dal perdono di massa deciso dal governatore uscente George Ryan, il braccio della morte dell'Illinois torna a riempirsi. Una giuria di Charleston ha condannato a morte un ex studente universitario accusato di aver violentato e ucciso una compagna di corso.

   Anthony Mertz, 26 anni, diventa cosi' l'unica persona in attesa di esecuzione in Illinois, dopo che lo scorso mese per circa 160 detenuti nel braccio della morte la pena fu commutata in ergastolo (e in alcuni casi in proscioglimento) negli ultimi giorni di attivita' di Ryan.

   Il 12 giugno 2001 Mertz, secondo l'accusa confermata ora dal processo, entro' di nascosto nell'appartamento di Shannon McNamara, 21 anni, la violento' e poi la strangolo', mutilandone infine il corpo, che fu trovato piu' tardi dalla compagna di camera della ragazza. La settimana prossima, un giudice dovra' formalizzare la condanna a morte, prima che Mertz divenga ufficialmente un detenuto in attesa dell'iniezione letale.

Illinois jury issues first death sentence since former governor emptied death row

Feb 27, 2003 

By JIM PAUL, 

CHARLESTON, Illinois - A jury issued Illinois' first death sentence since then-Gov. George Ryan emptied death row with a blanket clemency last month.

The jury ruled Wednesday that Anthony Mertz should be executed for killing a 21-year-old Eastern Illinois University student after he broke into her off-campus apartment in June 2001.

 Ryan commuted all 167 of Illinois' death sentences in the days before he left office, reducing most to life in prison. The unprecedented decision brought international attention to a state system where 17 people sent to death row had been cleared since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977.

 Ryan's successor, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has said he will continue the moratorium on executions that Ryan set in 2000, but has no plans to commute more sentences.

 "He intends to work with legislators to make sure there is reform before (executions) take place again," spokesman Tom Schafer said.

 Mertz was sentenced to death by the same Coles County jurors who earlier this month convicted him of sexually assaulting and strangling Shannon McNamara, whose body was left mutilated on her living room floor.

 "This is one of those cases, if ever, that deserves the ultimate penalty of death," prosecutor Ed Parkinson told the jury at the close of a two-week penalty hearing.

 Mertz's court-appointed attorneys said they thought the jury's decision signaled a backlash against Ryan's clemency decision.

 "It's like, 'We're going to show Gov. Ryan. We're going to fill up that death row again,'" said attorney Paula Phillips.

Mertz testified Tuesday that he does not remember killing McNamara and that he often suffered blackouts while he was drunk.

"He remembers. He just can't bring himself to tell you that," Parkinson countered. "He's a predator. He found his prey. He killed it, and he mutilated her."