Thread: Medellin's death gets little notice in crime-weary Mexico

Medellin's death gets little notice in crime-weary Mexico
Some are even calling for the death penalty, saying capital punishment could stop the violence and bloodshed plaguing the nation
By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press
Aug. 6, 2008, 9:21PM
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Images from the Jose Medellin case MEXICO CITY — Mexicans struggling with increasingly gruesome crimes at home devoted the least attention in recent memory to the execution of one of their citizens in Texas.

With Mexico riveted on its own kidnap and killing of a 14-year-old boy, the normally anti-death penalty country expressed far less outrage at the Tuesday execution of Jose Medellin, a Mexican national convicted in the 1993 rape and murder of two Houston girls.

Some Mexicans on Wednesday even called for the death penalty at home.

"There is no reason for outrage. The man was a rapist," said lawyer Gustavo Sanchez, 40, as he got his shoes shined on a Mexico City street.

"If we had the death penalty here, there wouldn't be so many crimes."

His sentiments echoed Emilio Gamboa, the congressional leader of Mexico's former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, who called for capital punishment earlier this week.

In contrast, the 1997 execution of Mexican Irineo Tristan Montoya for robbery and murder sparked angry demonstrations in Mexico. His body was given a hero's welcome.

But the domestic kidnapping case dominated almost all of the daily front pages Wednesday, while Medellin's execution merited small mentions lower down, if at all.

Fernando Marti, the son of a prominent businessman, was snatched on a Mexico City street in June and found dead last week, even though his family paid the ransom his captors demanded.

Several policemen have been detained for questioning in the death. Prosecutors believe they may have supplied kidnappers with information about the victim.

Last week, thieves robbing a bus on a highway north of Mexico City got mad when passengers didn't hand over possessions quickly and shot and killed a 5-year-old boy.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department issued its usual note of protest to the U.S. State Department about the decision to execute Medellin. The World Court ordered U.S. authorities to review the case, which drew international attention because of allegations that Medellin wasn't allowed to consult the Mexican Consulate for legal help after his arrest.

In Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, where Medellin was born, a small group of relatives condemned his execution.

"This is another murder because no one has the right to take someone else's life, only God," cousin Reyna Armendariz said.

A large black bow and a banner that read "No to the death penalty ... may God forgive you" hung from an iron fence in the front of a house where Medellin lived before moving to the United States at the age of 3.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hot ... 27961.html

Several interesting items. Medellin was brought to the US at the age of 9 not 3. According to his own blog ramblings, unless he lied so much he couldn't remember what lies he told?

From the village idiot, "reyna" Read your words, idiota! "No one was the right to take someone else's life, only God"?!?!?!?! Well gee, you mean GOD murdered those defenseless teenage girls, not Jose?? Your scumbag cousin was a rapist and murderer and got just what he deserved. May he rot in hell!

A child of a "prominent" businessman is killed and only NOW some mexican legislators are calling for the death penalty? I feel bad this child was killed but how many others who did not come from wealthy families have already died and mexico stood by?

Maybe now Mexico will wise up and bring back the death penalty, like Sanchez says.

I do not agree that this scum should ever be allowed to rot in hell.

I feel that he should be in hell, and have crows rip the flesh from his bones every day, also the the flesh grows back with no reduction in pain, so he never can get away from it

Originally Posted by ANGELLOVER7777

I do not agree that this scum should ever be allowed to rot in hell.

I feel that he should be in hell, and have crows rip the flesh from his bones every day, also the the flesh grows back with no reduction in pain, so he never can get away from it

He would suffer the fate of Prometheus. Works for me.

The bible says, Hell is a place of troment, nashing of teeth, the tongue quenches for thirst.

They had it on one of the mexican channels here, and they showed his mother crying and waling, and carring on. And they where protesting that no one has the right to take a life. Your right, so what about the lives of these innocent girls, that him and his gang banging buddies did?