Public opinion in the US is divided by the case of 49-year-old Amber McLaughlin, who will be executed by lethal injection on January 3, 2023 in Missouri, USA.
Public opinion in the US is divided by the case of 49-year-old Amber McLaughlin, who will be executed by lethal injection on January 3, 2023 in Missouri, USA.
She was sentenced to death in 2003 for the rape and murder (with multiple stabbings) of her ex-girlfriend in St. Louis. At the time she was called Scott McLaughlin and in prison she changed her gender identity and began to identify as a woman.
Thus, Amber McLaughlin became the first transgender woman on death row and – shortly before her execution – is asking to be granted “grace”, due to psychological problems created by the abuse she suffered as a child.
Barely a month after Kevin Johnson, another St. Louis County defendant is scheduled to be executed.
Amber McLaughlin would be the first woman put to death by Missouri since SCOTUS reinstated the death penalty in 1976. https://t.co/6sZHQsMzcg via River City Journalism Fund
—St. Louis Public Radio (@stlpublicradio) December 7, 2022
According to her lawyers, her stepmother smeared faeces on her face (when she was still a boy), while her policeman stepfather dressed her in a nightgown and then spanked her.
This resulted in her making suicide attempts, both as a teenager and as an adult. However, Missouri’s governor refused to pardon her – as is his standard practice with death row inmates.
First trans woman on death row in US begs Missouri governor for mercy https://t.co/aqisqp7JMo pic.twitter.com/5WCKhHj8DI
— New York Post (@nypost) December 15, 2022
Her case is divisive, since some argue that she is guilty, while others argue that she is innocent and even a victim of circumstances.
Some support the plea for “grace” and state that psychological problems led to the heinous crime.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION
Stop the Execution of Amber McLaughlin in Missourihttps://t.co/s31vOxPl35
— Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics (@Coyoteri) December 1, 2022
Others believe that she should be punished according to the law, while there are those who support the middle solution: Amber McLaughlin should remain in prison for life, but not be executed.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
