January 7, 2010

Yesterday, Gerald Bordelon was executed. Time of death was 6:32pm January 7,2010. Cause of death listed on his death certificate will read: Legal Homicide.

He was the first man to be executed in Louisiana for eight years. And the first to succesfully waive his right to appeals since the death penalty was reinstated in this state. In other words, he was a volunteer for execution. This does not however make his death any easier for those sitting on death row, or for those of us trying to fight the death penalty.

The Advocate reports that prior to execution Bordelon apologised "profusely" to the victim's family, saying “I’m sorry. I don’t know if that brings any closure or peace. It should have never happened, but it did and I’m sorry,” . The victim was his 12 year old step daughter, Courtney LeBlanc. The story goes:

In 1979 Bordelon was sent to psychiatric treatment after being accused of rape and kidnapping. In 1982 Bordelon received a ten year sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual battery. In 1990 he was sentenced to 20 years after being convicted of forcible rape and "agravated crime against nature".

While on parole in 2000 Bordelon met Jennifer Kocke (mother of Courtney LeBlanc) through the sale of a go-cart over the internet. They were married shortly after. Before their marriage Kocke was notified by the Louisiana Parole Board of Bordelon's history, and his parole was amended from not being allowed to be alone with children, so that he could be left alone with children if their parents were made aware of his history and consented.

Bordelon and Kocke were together long enough for Bordelon's daughter Casey Leger and Courtney LeBlanc to form a close relationship, they were the same age. But it was not long before Bordelon and Kocke split. LeBlanc and her sister had told their mother that Bordelon had touched them inapropriately. Kocke did not press charges against Bordelon and stayed in touch with him.

On November 15, 2002 Bordelon says he took Courtney LeBlanc from her mother's (his estranged wife)house at knife point. He forced her to perform oral sex on him, raped her and strangeld her. Eleven days later he lead the police to her body.

Bordelon confessed to the crime. In 2006 he was convicted by a jury and sentenced to death. Kocke was later convicted of child abuse for allowing Bordelon near her children after they had reported being mollested by him. She received a five-year suspended sentence and five years of probation; I understand part of her sentence is to write a 200 word letter to Courtney each year on Courtney's birthday about how she failed her as a mother, and file that letter with the Court.

In an interview with Casey Ledger, Bordelon's daughter, she said of the crime: "I couldn't believe my dad. The person I thought was so sweet, in a split second, could turn into a monster." She says he never touched her inapropriately, "The only time he hurt me was when he led police to the body and admitted to doing that." Ledger even blames herself for the murder, saying: "If it was because I wasn't there enough or show him that I love him that much, I really do and I wish things could be different and I wish he could come home." At his execution Bordelon wore a gold cross given to him by his 19-year-old daughter, with whom he exchanged necklaces earlier in the day. He had given her a cross made by his fellow inmates.

Bordelon spent the morning of his last day visiting with his family. His attorney, Jill Craft later told the press: "What he wanted to say was my mom and dad were losing a son, sisters were losing a brother, daughter losing a father, and I'm losing my life."

Bordelon's last meal consisted of fried sac-a-lait, crawfish étouffée, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cookies. He shared the meal with Warden Cain, his attorney and spiritual adviser and several other Angola officials. Cain said that Bordelon ate heartily unlike other inmates facing execution who usually just play with their food. Cain reports Bordelon as being upbeat. Perhaps because the end was in sight for him.

After Bordelon made his final statement, he was strapped to the gurney and for the last time his shackles were removed. He was dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans, what are commonely referred to in prison as "free clothes". The curtain between the death chamber and the witnesses was closed while the intravenous tubes were inserted. When the curtains reoppened Bordelon was connected to the IVs which would administer the lethal concoction. He spoke to Cain, who later reported Bordelon had again repeated his remorse and asked him to tell Casey that he wasn't afraid.
At 6:32 p.m., Cain said, "We now pronounce Gerald Bordelon dead. We've sent his soul for final judgment."

“Courtney’s family suffered; my family has suffered. I feel like I am doing the right thing by standing up and taking responsibility,” Bordelon wrote when fighting for his right to waive appeals. He told the Court he would “commit the same crime again if ever given the chance.” Words that don’t seem to fit with the remorse he expressed on his final day. In October 2009 the Supreme Court ruled that Bordelon was competent to waive appeals, convinced by testimony from psychiatrists that he had not been influenced by a personality disorder that impairs cognitive function, and further that his Bordelon’s decision was not “the produce of despair and suicidal inention.” Because of course, heaven forbid the State who wants to kill you helps you kill yourself!

In an attempt to prevent the execution, despite Bordelon's desire for it to go ahead, a Court battle ensued on the basis that Louisiana's execution rules were not in order. An argument which had I believe been succesful in Kentucky. A request was made on behalf of Nathanial Code's lawyers, for a hold to be put on all executions until changes are made to the lethal injection process. There are currently no other executions scheduled in Louisiana. State District Judge Mike Caldwell pushed back the hearing until January 8,2010, the day after Bordelon's execution. And said that it should not affect Bordelon's execution because he had voluntarily waived all right to appeals - surely an irrelevant matter when the State's process of execution is the issue in question.