Justice will be served today for Deputy Kyle Dinkheller

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I have sympathy for those with PTSD. I truly do. And I'd argue right here and now that I understand the chemical imbalance thought to occur and the regulation of the uptake systems as well as they can currently be understood and as well or better than anyone on this board. However, that doesn't preclude one from having the ability to understand right and wrong. This clearly wasn't a psychotic event where he thought he was back in the middle of the rice patties. He made a conscious decision whether medicated or not. While I'm empathetic to his situation, I find that as no excuse for what was in that video. None.

 

PTSD doesn't necessarily preclude the person from knowing right from wrong, no - "necessarily" being my operative word there. And no, it doesn't appear in the video that Brannan thought he was back in Vietnam. Still, I don't know what was going on in the guy's head. No one does. No one can.

 

The fact is, Andrew Brannan was already diagnosed with two kinds of crazy. I don't know how much effect either or both of those mental illnesses were playing in the situation...but as far as *I* can see, they have a serious something to do with it.

 

When our broke-as-a-joke country has to spend more money in the first place to be able to put this guy to death, what is the real problem with letting him spend the rest of his life in a padded box?

[halfback20]

 

PTSD doesn't necessarily preclude the person from knowing right from wrong, no - "necessarily" being my operative word there. And no, it doesn't appear in the video that Brannan thought he was back in Vietnam. Still, I don't know what was going on in the guy's head. No one does. No one can.

 

The fact is, Andrew Brannan was already diagnosed with two kinds of crazy. I don't know how much effect either or both of those mental illnesses were playing in the situation...but as far as *I* can see, they have a serious something to do with it.

 

When our broke-as-a-joke country has to spend more money in the first place to be able to put this guy to death, what is the real problem with letting him spend the rest of his life in a padded box?

 

Kyle Dinkheller, and his wife, kids, and parents deserve justice. This man murdered him for no reason. Several courts have heard the testimony and agree that he deserves to be executed. There's no doubt he did what he did. It's time for him to go.

[spindoc]

PTSD doesn't necessarily preclude the person from knowing right from wrong, no - "necessarily" being my operative word there. And no, it doesn't appear in the video that Brannan thought he was back in Vietnam. Still, I don't know what was going on in the guy's head. No one does. No one can.

 

The fact is, Andrew Brannan was already diagnosed with two kinds of crazy. I don't know how much effect either or both of those mental illnesses were playing in the situation...but as far as *I* can see, they have a serious something to do with it.

 

When our broke-as-a-joke country has to spend more money in the first place to be able to put this guy to death, what is the real problem with letting him spend the rest of his life in a padded box?

His crime passed the padded box in my opinion. I'd have voted for the death penalty.

 

Was he off his meds when he loaded that rifle and put it in his truck? Who's to say? I think it could be argued he planned such an escapade as easily as you could defend it with PTSD.

[Jumper_Dad]

When asked why he killed the deputy, Brannan responded, “Because he let me.” Not because he was having a flash back, not because he was delusional, not because he thought he was back in Vietnam...he killed him, "Because he let me"

 

Deputy Dinkheller was only 22-years-old at the time of his death. This hits very close to home for me as my son is a 22 year old Deputy Sheriff.

 

My stance on the Death Penalty has shifted somewhat over the years and I now think it should be used sparingly. But in this case I have no problem with it being used. I do have a problem with this pile of crap getting to live for all of these years. He deserves his appeals in a timely manner and then to be executed.

 

Some say it's not completely his fault he was off of his medication. Well he knew his condition and knew why he was on the medication, he chose not to take it. Using that as an excuse IMO would be like someone asking to not be blamed for a wreck because they were too drunk to drive straight.

[Jumper_Dad]

 

The man who killed him in the above video is set to be executed by lethal injection today.

 

FYI, the video is difficult to watch, at least for me.

I've watched that in the past, I can't watch it again.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Kyle Dinkheller, and his wife, kids, and parents deserve justice. This man murdered him for no reason. Several courts have heard the testimony and agree that he deserves to be executed. There's no doubt he did what he did. It's time for him to go.

 

Dinkheller was murdered without having done anything wrong. However, I would say that there was a "reason" - Brannan being mentally ill is certainly a "reason". It doesn't make it right, but it is definitely a reason.

 

Also, Brannan has only had public defenders up until the point of his most recent appeal to the Georgia State Supreme Court...which has denied him a clemency hearing. Only the first of his three appeals was actually heard, and up until this last appeal, no one had brought into the question the fact that the testimonies of his family, the soldiers he fought in Vietnam with, and his diagnosing psychiatrist from the VA had never been brought before the court by Brannan's public defenders. Instead the only testimony by an expert witness regarding Brannan's mental health was made by a court-ordered mental health professional...someone who had evaluated him AFTER the murder, and once he had been put back onto his prescribed medications while in jail. To say that "several courts have heard the testimony" is only a half truth, because the whole truth is that all of the testimony had never been brought forth.

 

As a Christian, I just don't see how "justice" is ever killing another person.

[Jumper_Dad]

Dinkheller was murdered without having done anything wrong. However, I would say that there was a "reason" - Brannan being mentally ill is certainly a "reason". It doesn't make it right, but it is definitely a reason.

 

Also, Brannan has only had public defenders up until the point of his most recent appeal to the Georgia State Supreme Court...which has denied him a clemency hearing. Only the first of his three appeals was actually heard, and up until this last appeal, no one had brought into the question the fact that the testimonies of his family, the soldiers he fought in Vietnam with, and his diagnosing psychiatrist from the VA had never been brought before the court by Brannan's public defenders. Instead the only testimony by an expert witness regarding Brannan's mental health was made by a court-ordered mental health professional...someone who had evaluated him AFTER the murder, and once he had been put back onto his prescribed medications while in jail. To say that "several courts have heard the testimony" is only a half truth, because the whole truth is that all of the testimony had never been brought forth.

 

As a Christian, I just don't see how "justice" is ever killing another person.

 

Public Defenders in Capital Cases aren't the same guy that tries to get you off if you get caught with a Dime Bag. They are specialize in Capital Cases and are some of the best defense attorneys money can buy. So I'd have trouble blaming his defense team just because they are Public Defenders as you repeatedly pointed out.

 

As for having a "Reason" well if I get drunk and wreck and kill someone, I had a "Reason" too...I was drunk. He chose not to take his medication knowing that he had a condition(s) that warranted that he take said medication. No different than getting drunk in a bar and driving off IMO.

[spindoc]

Dinkheller was murdered without having done anything wrong. However, I would say that there was a "reason" - Brannan being mentally ill is certainly a "reason". It doesn't make it right, but it is definitely a reason.

 

Also, Brannan has only had public defenders up until the point of his most recent appeal to the Georgia State Supreme Court...which has denied him a clemency hearing. Only the first of his three appeals was actually heard, and up until this last appeal, no one had brought into the question the fact that the testimonies of his family, the soldiers he fought in Vietnam with, and his diagnosing psychiatrist from the VA had never been brought before the court by Brannan's public defenders. Instead the only testimony by an expert witness regarding Brannan's mental health was made by a court-ordered mental health professional...someone who had evaluated him AFTER the murder, and once he had been put back onto his prescribed medications while in jail. To say that "several courts have heard the testimony" is only a half truth, because the whole truth is that all of the testimony had never been brought forth.

 

As a Christian, I just don't see how "justice" is ever killing another person.

 

I think what you refer to as a reason, I'd likely label as an excuse. Romans 13:4 says "For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I think what you refer to as a reason, I'd likely label as an excuse. Romans 13:4 says "For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."

 

There are sure an awful lot of folks in the US government these days who I wouldn't categorize as God's servants. That's why I'd prefer to go with John 8:7.

 

Also, as I said, I have no idea how messed up this guy is or isn't in his head, and no one, short of God, really does. God exists in all sinners - even in mentally ill murderers. They were made in His image just like I was. When I go before my judgement and God wants to talk with my about "whatever I did for the least of His people, that I did unto Him", I hope that includes forgiving a mentally ill man for murder and allowing him the chance to do whatever he man need to to repent his sins and make right with God while living out the rest of his days in some appropriate sort of incarceration rather than sending him to the execution chamber.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Public Defenders in Capital Cases aren't the same guy that tries to get you off if you get caught with a Dime Bag. They are specialize in Capital Cases and are some of the best defense attorneys money can buy. So I'd have trouble blaming his defense team just because they are Public Defenders as you repeatedly pointed out.

 

Specialist or not, the fact is, Brannan had no testimony brought forth on his behalf by his defense. How can you not consult the patient's diagnosing psychiatrist when you're calling for the charges to be changed on account the defendant not being mentally fit to stand trial?

[spindoc]

There are sure an awful lot of folks in the US government these days who I wouldn't categorize as God's servants. That's why I'd prefer to go with John 8:7.

 

Also, as I said, I have no idea how messed up this guy is or isn't in his head, and no one, short of God, really does. God exists in all sinners - even in mentally ill murderers. They were made in His image just like I was. When I go before my judgement and God wants to talk with my about "whatever I did for the least of His people, that I did unto Him", I hope that includes forgiving a mentally ill man for murder and allowing him the chance to do whatever he man need to to repent his sins and make right with God rather than sending him to the execution chamber.

His sentence didn't keep anyone from forgiving him. I'd hope the family found a way to do that. And the shooter had nearly 2 decades to find Christ and his forgiveness. I hope someone reached him on that level.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

His sentence didn't keep anyone from forgiving him. I'd hope the family found a way to do that. And the shooter had nearly 2 decades to find Christ and his forgiveness. I hope someone reached him on that level.

 

What if he needed nearly 2 decades plus one day?

[spindoc]

What if he needed nearly 2 decades plus one day?

Then that's on him. No different than one who won't repent from their death bed. Except he had the advantage of knowing exactly how long he had.

[capt278]

Incredibly tragic.

 

Still...Andrew Howard Brannan, the man being executed tonight is - and was at the time of Officer Dinkheller's murder - diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was off of his medication at the time of the murder, in addition to being diagnosed and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being a combat decorated Vietnam veteran. The video clearly shows that Andrew Brannan wasn't all there in the video. Who gets pulled over for speeding and then proceeds to dance around like that and yells at the police officer to shoot them without having some kind of major mental malfunction?

 

I can understand and justify anyone saying that we should lock Brannan up and throw away the key (after all, the cost to do so is less than the cost of appeals and execution)...but I just don't see how his execution is justified.

 

Evidently he has been found over and over competent. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to be executed. He took the life of a police officer in cold blood. He deserves to be executed.

 

To house an inmate in Georgia per year is $21,039 per inmate. Over 17 years that is $357,663. That is a waste of money. Why waste that much again or more to continue to house this murderer?

[spindoc]

Evidently he has been found over and over competent. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to be executed. He took the life of a police officer in cold blood. He deserves to be executed.

 

To house an inmate in Georgia per year is $21,039 per inmate. Over 17 years that is $357,663. That is a waste of money. Why waste that much again or more to continue to house this murderer?

There's an argument that it costs more to execute one.