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Crime Politics USA

Manchin Criticizes Biden’s Clemency for Death Row Inmates; Trump Pledges to Reinstate Federal Executions

Manchin Criticizes Biden’s Clemency for Death Row Inmates; Trump Pledges to Reinstate Federal Executions
President Biden speaks at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 16 (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)
  • PublishedDecember 30, 2024

President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 death row inmates, replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment without parole, has sparked sharp criticism from Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and support for stricter measures from President-elect Donald Trump.

Among those granted clemency were two men convicted of the brutal 2002 murder of Samantha Burns, a case that has drawn national attention.

Manchin, an outgoing senator and former Democrat, issued a forceful statement condemning the president’s decision as “horribly misguided and insulting.” Speaking on behalf of Samantha Burns’ parents, who had directly appealed to the Biden administration to uphold the death sentences, Manchin expressed deep sympathy for their grief.

“After speaking to Samantha Burns’ parents, I believe it is my duty to speak on their behalf and say President Biden’s decision… is horribly misguided and insulting,” Manchin stated.

He added that the Burns family’s pleas to the administration were ignored, compounding their suffering during the holiday season.

Samantha Burns, a 19-year-old college student, was abducted and killed in 2002 by two escapees from a Kentucky jail, Chadrick Fulks and Brandon Basham. Their crime spree spanned 17 days and several states. Both men confessed to killing Burns as part of a carjacking and pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Another high-profile case among those granted clemency involved Jorge Avila-Torrez, a former Marine convicted of murdering two young girls in Illinois and a Navy petty officer in Virginia. His brutal crimes, which included abductions and sexual assaults, led to a death sentence that Biden commuted to life imprisonment.

President-elect Donald Trump responded with a fiery post on Truth Social, condemning Biden’s actions and pledging to reverse the moratorium on federal executions. Trump vowed to reinstate capital punishment for those convicted of heinous crimes, aligning with his tough-on-crime stance.

“These murderers deserve the ultimate penalty, not leniency,” Trump said.

The President-elect added that clemency undermines justice for the victims and their families.

President Biden defended his decision as consistent with his administration’s moratorium on federal executions, stating that the death penalty should only be applied in cases of terrorism and hate-driven mass murder. He expressed sympathy for the victims’ families but reiterated his commitment to abolishing capital punishment at the federal level.

“These commutations… prevent the next administration from carrying out execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy,” Biden explained in a statement.

The clemency decisions have reignited debates about the death penalty in America. Supporters of Biden argue that his actions align with a more humane and just legal system, while critics, including Manchin and Trump, contend that justice for victims and their families is best served through capital punishment.

With Trump set to assume office, his administration is likely to take a dramatically different approach, reinstating federal executions as a cornerstone of his justice policy. His promise has been met with approval from many who believe that the death penalty is an essential deterrent and form of retribution for the most egregious crimes.

With input from FOX News and Lake & McHenry County Scanner.

Written By
Joe Yans