Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 30, 1993                   TAG: 9303300397
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NO PLEA BARGAINS FROM THE GRAVE

William R. Smith Jr. entered a tentative "plea agreement" to avoid a possible death sentence for his part in the abduction and shooting death of Lorna Crockett, who was making a night deposit in Christiansburg.

Have you noticed how many of these cold-blooded killers, after being caught, are not so "macho" or "brave" when the gun has been taken out of their hands? Notice how they wiggle and squirm when facing the jury with shackles and chains on their hands and feet? And how all of a sudden life becomes very precious to them, when they face the possibility of a death sentence for their crimes?

Can you imagine how Ms. Crockett must have felt as they drove her out of town, with the gun pressed against her head? How she must have cried and begged them not to kill her? But they killed her anyway, and for what? A couple hundred dollars. Talk about a couple of cheap, lowlife, scum-bag punks! In my book, both Smith and Morehead should be executed, one for pulling the trigger and the other for not trying to stop him.

Life in prison does not always mean life, and 20 years does not always mean 20 years in prison. But a bullet in the side of the head does, almost always, mean certain death. From which there is no "plea bargaining" or "appeals." The victims don't get up out of the grave in 12 or 15 years.

Is this system fair?

To Mike Crockett and his sons, I say this: Our hearts and prayers go out to you. Most hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens who have followed this case, are just as angered as you are, believe me. RON PENLAND WYTHEVILLE