Stanley Williams Executed

Stanley "Tookie" Williams, co-founder of the Crips gang, who was convicted in 1981 of 4 murders in 1979, was executed at 12:35 am PST on Tuesday, December 13, 2005.

"Tookie" was found guilty of mudering a convience store worker, then killing a couple and their daughter a week later. Williams maintained his innocence.

Reports from witnesses of the execution say that the correctional officers in charge of setting him up for the execution, had trouble putting in the I.V. in his left arm. Those who are executed by lethal injection hace an I.V. placed in each arm, so in the event one fails, there is a backup. Witnesses say it took several minutes to get the I.V. in the correct place.

Williams reportedly said, "Haven't found it yet?" to the guard in charge of placing the I.V. in his arm.

Most of the time Williams looked only at his guests. Those being executed are allowed to have a few guests to witness the execution. However, at one point, Williams turned his head and stared at the members of the press who were there as witnesses, also.

Stanley Williams chatted with the officers as they were preparing to end his life, witnesses report.

As they were prepping him, Williams what holding a in-audilbe conversation with three supports of his, who where in there as witnesses, including Barbera Bechnel. At one point, one of the three pumped his fist in the air, as a symbol of black power and mouthed the name "Tookie".

As the three witnesses left the witness room, all in unison they yelled "California just executed an innocent man!"

Williams very last chance to be spared from death came to an end when the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal. This announcement came just 5 hours before WIlliams was to be executed. At literally the last moment, Williams' attorneys asked Governor Schwarzenegger to grant clemency for Williams, which Schwarzenegger denied to do just hours before the execution.

According to witnesses, Williams breathing became labored, his chest rising and lowering rapidly. He then appeared not to move. He remained like this for several minutes before the officel in the witness room announced that Williams was pronounced dead at 12:35 am PST.

After the execution, Barbera Bechnel, one of the witnesses, virtually announced a campaign to get back at Gov. Schwarzenegger, who according to her, is "A cold-blooded murderer". She also suggested that a conspiracy took place between the Prosecution, the Governor, the State's Supreme Court, the Federal Appeals Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States, to execute Williams, who she claimed was an innocent man.

The crowd of supporters outside San Quientin State Prison bacame very quiet after the death was announced. A few minutes later, however, the crowd started chanting and yelling various things. To their credit, they didn't become rowdy.

So the controversy surrounding the possible death of Stanley "Tookie" Willams is over. The argument whether or not he should have been executed is another story, which will no doubt start tomorrow.

-Adam