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August 8, 2024

Utah completes its first execution in 14 years

As reported in this USA Today article, "Utah executed a death row inmate for the 1998 murder of his then-girlfriend's mother on Thursday, the 12th execution in the nation this year and the state's first since a firing squad execution in 2010."  Here is more:

Taberon Dave Honie, 48, was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead on Thursday, at 12:25 a.m. Mountain Time, according to the Utah Department of Corrections.  Honie's execution came nearly seven hours after Texas executed Arthur Lee Burton on Wednesday for the murder of Nancy Adleman, a 48-year-old mother of three who was out on a jog in Houston in 1997.

Honie was convicted for the murder of 49-year-old Claudia Benn, a substance abuse counselor for Utah's Paiute Tribe and a devoted grandmother of three. Benita Yracheta, Benn's daughter, told USA TODAY on Monday that she feels relief that she can put her mother's brutal death behind her, saying that justice is "finally happening" and at least Honie could prepare for the day. "My mom, she never knew her death date," she said. "She didn’t know she was gonna die that night." ....

There isn't "much similarity at all" between Honie's execution and Ronnie Lee Gardner's execution by firing squad in 2010, said Pat Reavy, a reporter with KSL.com who witnessed both executions, at the press conference. "I guess there's a peaceful way to put someone to death," said Reavy about Honie's execution "That's what this was."  Reavy described the firing squad execution as more traumatic. "The firing squad execution I thought was much more violent," said Reavy. "It shakes you, it's just so loud." While Honie's execution took longer, he adds that it really was "like watching a person fall asleep and not wake up again."...

Benn was babysitting her three granddaughters on July 9, 1998.  Her daughter, Carol Pikyavit, had been living with Benn along with her 2-year-old daughter, whom she shared with Honie, when Honie called.  He was drunk and angry, and at one point, threatened to kill everyone in the home and take their daughter if Pikyavit didn't make time to see him, court records say. Not taking the threat seriously, Pikyavit left the home and headed to work.

Honie headed to the house and began arguing with Benn.  Honie told police that Benn started the fight and was calling him names through a sliding glass door before he snapped, broke through the door and went inside. Benn had grabbed a butcher knife but was overpowered by Honie, who grabbed the knife and brought it to her throat, court records say. Honie says the two of them both tripped while the knife was at Benn’s throat and that she fell on the blade.

Police said Benn was found face down in the living room, with numerous “stabbing and cutting wounds” to her neck and genitals, according to court documents. Honie confessed to the murder, telling police that same night he had “stabbed and killed her with a knife,” USA TODAY reported.

All three grandchildren were found at the home with varying degrees of blood on their clothes and body.  There was also evidence that one of Benn’s granddaughters was sexually abused at some point, court documents say.  Honie was arrested, charged and convicted of aggravated murder.

August 8, 2024 at 07:53 AM | Permalink

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