FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2010
Posted: 2:43 a.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – Corrected time of death for Mr. Gardner is 12:17 a.m. on June 18, 2010.
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Execution Warrant Served
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2010
Posted: 12:21 a.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – The execution warrant for Mr. Gardner has been served. He was pronounced dead at 12:20 a.m. on June 18, 2010.
A formal press conference will be held in the media center at the Fred House Academy in approximately one hour.
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Information from 9:45 p.m. Briefing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
Posted: 10:02 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – The following information was presented in the fifth hourly briefing from the media center at the Fred House Academy:
Mr. Gardner continued his meeting with a bishop from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the last hour. He also met with attorney and resumed watching a “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He drank a Coke and a Mountain Dew.
Further briefings will occur hourly throughout the night.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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Information from 8:35 p.m. Briefing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
Posted: 8:54 p.m
SALT LAKE CITY – The following information was presented in the fourth hourly briefing from the media center at the Fred House Academy:
Within the past hour Mr. Gardner met with a bishop from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Utah Governor Gary Herbert also received, and denied, a second request from Mr. Gardner’s attorneys for a stay of execution.
Further briefings will occur hourly throughout the night.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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Information from 7:30 p.m. Briefing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
Posted: 7:50 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – The following information was presented in the third hourly briefing from the media center at the Fred House Academy:
Mr. Gardner continues to watch “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy on DVD from his observation cell. He has also slept in the past hour.
Further briefings will occur hourly throughout the night.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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Pool Video Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
Posted: 7:00 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – Following tonight’s scheduled execution, the Utah Department of Corrections will allow for pool video to be taped in the execution chamber. Salt Lake City television station KUTV has been designated to provide the footage.
We anticipate being able to feed the pool video at 1:15 a.m. MST, or as soon as possible after that time. Please have your dishes tuned and be rolling, we will loop the footage three times once we start feeding material.
The feed can be found at/after 1:15 a.m. MST on Galaxy 16-10C(Ku-band), located at 99 degrees west. Downlink Freq: 11894.625 data rate: 5.500000 symbol rate: 3.978723 FEC: 3/4
For any further questions please call Mehul Asher, assignment editor at 801-839-1333.
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Information from 6:35 p.m. briefing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
Posted: 6:50 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – The following information was presented in the second hourly briefing from the media center at the Fred House Academy:
Mr. Gardner continues to watch “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy on DVD from his observation cell. He has also had a Vitamin Water and a Sprite to drink. Mr. Gardner received and read a piece of personal mail, he also visited with a second attorney and slept.
Further briefings will occur hourly throughout the night.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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Information from 5:20 briefing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
6:15 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY – The following information was presented in the first hourly briefing from the media center at the Fred House Academy:
Since being moved to an observation cell last night Mr. Gardner has spent his time sleeping, reading the book “Divine Justice,” watching the “Lord of The Rings” trilogy, and meeting with his attorneys. Corrections officers have described Mr. Gardner’s mood as being “relaxed.”
Further briefings will occur hourly throughout the night.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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Briefings to Begin Shortly
Posted: 5:10 p.m.
The first hourly briefing will begin at 5:20 p.m. in the media center at the Fred House Academy.
Governor Herbert Denies Request to Stay Execution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010
3:43 p.m.
Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert has declined a request to temporarily stay the anticipated execution of inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner.
“Upon careful review, there is nothing in the materials provided this morning that has not already been considered and decided by the Board of Pardons and Parole or numerous courts,” Governor Herbert wrote in a letter to Mr. Gardner’s attorneys. “Mr. Gardner has had a full and fair opportunity to have his case considered by numerous tribunals.”
The Governor’s decision is in response to a letter delivered to the Office of the Governor shortly after 10 a.m. by Mr. Gardner’s legal counsel. In it, the attorneys ask Governor Herbert to “issue a respite or reprieve pursuant to your executive power under the Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 12.3(a), to temporarily stay his execution currently scheduled for June 18, 2010, at 12:01 a.m.”
The Utah Constitution does not grant the Governor the authority to issue a pardon or to commute Mr. Gardner’s sentence.
Gardner, 49, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad shortly past midnight tonight for a 1985 courthouse escape attempt, during which attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff George “Nick” Kirk wounded. Gardner was appearing in court for the earlier murder of Melvyn Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar.
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