On Thursday evening, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) successfully carried out the lethal injection execution of Derrick Dearman, who was convicted of murdering five of his girlfriend's relatives with an axe and gun.
A jury unanimously voted in October 2018 for Dearman to be put to death after he killed five of his longtime girlfriend’s relatives in one night, one of whom was carrying an unborn baby.
Dearman was indicted for 12 counts of capital murder and two counts of first-degree kidnapping. He agreed to plead guilty to the five counts of murder after the State moved to drop a sixth count in the case of an unborn child carried by one of his victims.
Dearman was executed at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. He was pronounced dead by a physician at 6:14 p.m.
This was one of the swiftest executions in recent history, with only six years between a conviction and execution. Most recent state executions have taken place decades after the crime occurred. This is likely due to Dearman firing his attorneys earlier this year and asking that all appeals be halted. He also asked Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall in letters to allow his execution to proceed.
Media witnesses described his final words as the following:
"To the victims' family, forgive me; this is not for me, it is for you. I have taken so much..." Then his words were inaudible. "To my family, y'all already know... I love y'all."
Dearman also asked that his spiritual advisor not be in the death chamber at the last minute.
Following the execution, Marshall applauded both the success of the execution and seemingly expressed mild respect for Dearman accepting his sentence without years of lengthy appeals.
“Tonight, Derrick Dearman was executed via lethal injection for the murders of Joseph Adam Turner, Shannon Randall, Justin Kaleb Reed, Chelsea Marie Reed, who was expecting her second child, and Robert Lee Brown,” Marshall said.
“Dearman’s request to halt appeals and proceed with the execution was appropriate in the interest of justice and finality for the families. As a jury of his peers unanimously agreed, the gruesome facts of this case merited the ultimate punishment. Dearman viciously struck his victims with an axe, leaving them conscious and suffering for some time before he executed each at close range. Dearman showed no pity and no mercy.”
“Tonight, my prayers are with the families of Joseph, Shannon, Justin, Chelsea, Robert and especially with Joseph and Shannon’s son, who was three months old and present during the commission of this horrific crime. I hope their families find some peace and closure now that the state has finally carried out the imposed sentence.”
Ivey likewise released a statement following the execution, applauding justice being done and offering prayers for the families of the victims.
“Six lives, including an unborn baby, were gruesomely taken by Mr. Dearman in 2016,” Ivey said. “In using an axe and then a gun, he clearly made the decision to kill. Then, he made the clear decision to flee to his hometown in Mississippi. And now, he himself has clearly stated his guilt and asked to move forward with his death sentence. The state has obliged, and justice has been served. I pray for the loved ones of all these victims whose lives were taken far too soon.”
According to court documents, Dearman was in a "volatile" relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Laneta Lester.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 20, 2016, Lester was staying at the home of her brother and his wife in Citronelle. Dearman was reportedly told he was not welcome in the house. In a gruesome scene detailed in court documents, Dearman broke into the house armed with an axe and began his rampage by killing a sleeping man on a recliner.
Dearman went on to attack several others in the house with an axe, returning with a gun to finish off two who were not fatally wounded by the axe, including a woman 18 weeks pregnant.
At the end of it all, three men, two women and the unborn baby lay dead by Dearman's hand. He fled the house that early morning in a stolen vehicle with Lester and the infant child of two of the victims. Dearman turned himself into law enforcement the following day.
Dearman was indicted for 12 counts of capital murder and two counts of first-degree kidnapping. He agreed to plead guilty to the five counts of murder after the State moved to drop the sixth count in the case of Reed’s unborn child.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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