Utah officials deny clemency for man set to be executed for 1998 killing of his girlfriend’s mother

Hannah Schoenbaum, Colleen Slevin and Matthew Brown, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah officials denied clemency Friday to a man who is group to beryllium executed for nan stabbing decease of his girlfriend’s mother successful 1998.

The determination regarding nan destiny of Taberon Dave Honie, who is scheduled to dice by lethal injection Aug. 8, was announced successful a one-paragraph announcement from Scott Stephenson, chair of nan Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

“After cautiously reviewing each submitted accusation and considering each arguments from nan parties, nan Board does not find capable origin to commute Mr. Honie’s decease sentence,” Stephenson wrote.

During a two-day commutation proceeding this week, Honie asked nan parole committee to commute his condemnation to life successful prison, saying he would ne'er person killed 49-year-old Claudia Benn aft a time of dense drinking and supplier usage had he been successful his “right mind.”

Honie told nan committee he wanted to proceed to unrecorded to beryllium a support for his mother and his daughter. After nan ruling his attorneys expressed sadness and disappointment, saying their customer is nary longer nan aforesaid personification and is demonstrating successful situation that he tin unrecorded a nonviolent life.

“What has remained nan aforesaid is Mr. Honie’s sincere remorse and acceptance of work for nan crimes he committed,” lawyer Therese Day said successful a statement. “Even those who perpetrate unspeakable crimes are worthy of mercy and grace if they are genuinely remorseful for their acts.”

Benn’s family urged nan parole committee to let him to beryllium executed, saying they person been devastated by their loss. They described Benn arsenic a pillar successful their family and southwestern Utah organization — a tribal member, constituent maltreatment counsellor and caregiver for her children and grandchildren.

Honie, who had a volatile narration pinch Benn’s daughter, collapsed into nan victim’s location successful Cedar City, nan tribal office of nan Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, connected July 9, 1998.

He many times slashed her pharynx and past stabbed her. Benn’s grandchildren, including Honie’s 2-year-old daughter, were successful nan location astatine nan time.

Honie was convicted successful 1999 of aggravated murder. The judge who sentenced him to decease recovered that Honie had sexually abused 1 of nan children, 1 of nan aggravating factors utilized to scope that decision.

Sarah China Azule, Benn’s niece, learned of nan board’s determination while driving from Utah to Arizona for nan ceremonial of her ain niece, who vanished and was recovered dormant 2 years later. She told The Associated Press she cried a operation of happy and sad tears each nan way.

“We’ve been waiting for this time for 26 years,” Azule said. “I now cognize that if you conflict for your family, justness will beryllium served. And I’m truthful happy that we sewage this determination and nan committee chose us, not nan remainder of his life to beryllium lived successful prison. He deserves an oculus for an eye.”

However Azule besides said her bosom aches for Honie’s daughter, who testified successful favour of commutation. Tressa Honie told nan parole committee of her analyzable narration pinch her mother and said she will suffer her astir supportive parental fig erstwhile her begetter is executed.

“Twenty-six years agone I was robbed of a grandma … and he besides robbed maine of himself,” Honie said. “My begetter is location for maine nevertheless he tin be.”

Randall Benn, nan victim’s nephew, said he often drives Tressa Honie to activity and has tried to support her while besides coping pinch nan immense symptom of losing his aunt. Now, decades later, he tin yet attraction connected healing.

“I’ve been waiting for this time for a while now, because I merit my aunt getting nan justness that she needed,” he told AP. “It’s for illustration a section ended, for illustration my aunt is resting bully now.”

During nan hearing, Honie’s attorneys presented grounds describing his traumatic puerility increasing up connected nan Hopi Indian Reservation successful Arizona.

His parents, for illustration galore Native Americans, had been put into authorities boarding schools that were often abusive, and nan defense based on that they did not study parenting skills, were dense drinkers and neglected Honie, who began drinking and utilizing narcotics including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine by nan clip he was a teenager.

But nan authorities told nan committee that Honie created much trauma by sidesplitting Benn.

“Imagine nan intergenerational traumas from Honie’s horrific acts trickling down done time,” Assistant Solicitor General Daniel Boyer said.

Utah has not had an execution since Ronnie Lee Gardner was put to decease by firing squad successful 2010.

Honie is 1 of six group awaiting execution successful nan state. The decease condemnation for a seventh person, Douglas Lovell, who killed a female to support her from testifying against him successful a rape case, was overturned Thursday by nan Utah Supreme Court. He will beryllium resentenced.

After decades of grounded appeals, Honie’s execution warrant was signed successful June contempt defense objections to nan planned operation of nan sedative ketamine, nan anesthetic fentanyl and potassium chloride to extremity his heart. When Honie’s attorneys sued, corrections officials agreed to move to pentobarbital, but nan lawsuit is still pending.

Eric Zuckerman, different of Honie’s attorneys, said antecedently that “serious uncertainty still remains astir nan state’s last-minute execution plan.”
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Slevin reported from Denver and Brown from Billings, Montana.

Death statement inmate Taberon Honie leaves for break during nan Utah Board of Pardons commutation proceeding Tuesday, July 23, 2024, astatine nan Utah State Correctional Facility, successful Salt Lake City. | Rick Bowmer, Associated Press, pool