Massacre in Illinois

There aren't too many more cowardly, despicable crimes than tying up 6 women and executing (five of) them over a botched robbery. Fortunately, one of them survived a gunshot to the neck and is providing a description of the killer.

A truly civilized society would put all their resources into tracking down this killer, ascertaining his guilt through a fair, speedy trial, and then would hang him in the public square, his humiliating death videotaped and distributed throughout the land as a warning to anyone else who might consider eliminating witnesses to their crimes. I am 100% certain we would save many lives if we did this.

Illinois, however, suspended executions several years ago due to too many innocent men being set free. To be fair to Mr. Obama, he appears to have played a constructive role (at least according to this article) in reforming Illinois' death penalty statute, insisting that all confessions in capital cases be videotaped. False confessions are the major cause of false convictions, as not very bright or psychologically weak people will admit to anything to put an end to relentless 7-hour interrogations. So, yes, if we were truly a civilized society we'd be able to figure out how not to convict innocent people of murder.