Utah officials denied clemency to Taberon Dave Honie, who is scheduled to be executed for the 1998 stabbing death of his girlfriend’s mother. Despite Honie’s plea to commute his sentence to life in prison, the parole board found no sufficient cause to do so. Benn’s family, devastated by their loss, urged for Honie’s execution, describing Benn as a pillar in their family and community. Honie’s traumatic childhood on the Hopi Indian Reservation was presented as a mitigating factor during the proceedings.
Honie was convicted of aggravated murder in 1999, with the judge finding aggravating factors such as sexual abuse of one of the children present during the murder. Utah has not had an execution since 2010, but Honie is one of six people currently awaiting execution in the state. His execution warrant was signed in June, despite objections to the planned combination of drugs, which has since been changed to pentobarbital pending a court decision.
Honie’s attorneys are still reviewing information regarding the change in execution protocol to ensure his constitutional rights are protected. Additionally, prison officials have agreed to allow one of his lawyers access to a phone during the execution in case of an emergency motion needing to be filed. The decision to deny clemency to Honie comes after a two-day hearing where both sides presented arguments for and against commuting his death sentence.
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