Tests Confirm That Indeed, Coleman, Was Guilty Of The Crimes That He Was Convicted Of And Executed For...

As I have written, I am against the death penalty in the US. Virginia governor, Mark Warner ordered a more detailed DNA test for a man that was convicted and executed for a crime in that state. There was concern that the man may actually have been innocent of the crime.

A new DNA test confirmed the guilt of a Virginia man who proclaimed his innocence up until his 1992 execution for rape and murder, the Virginia governor's office said on Thursday.

"We have sought the truth using DNA technology not available at the time the (Virginia) Commonwealth carried out the ultimate criminal sanction" against Roger Keith Coleman, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said in a statement.

"The confirmation that Roger Coleman's DNA was present reaffirms the verdict and the sanction."

Coleman was executed in May 1992 for the 1981 rape and murder of his 19-year-old sister-in-law, Wanda McCoy. He repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.

However, as the DNA tests now confirm, Coleman was indeed guilty of the crime.

Despite the man being guilty of his crimes and his punishment being justified by the laws of the State of Virginia, I still think that we American's should endeavor to eliminate the death penalty for the various reasons that I have discussed in previous posts, here and here.