Jackson Free Press

Moments before the executioner filled Joseph Daniel Burns' veins with the lethal drug cocktail that would end his life, Burns, his voice soft but steady, apologized to his victim's family.

"Ms. McBride, I'm sorry I brought this evil and pain on you," he said. "I pray that you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, not for my sake but for yours."

Burns turned his head to the left and spoke directly to Kay Gordon, the sister of Floyd Melvin "Mike" McBride, the man Burns murdered in 1994. It was the only part of his body he could move. Prison officials had strapped Burns, dressed in a red jumpsuit and white sneakers, to a gurney with heavy 3- to 4-inch leather straps at his ankles, thighs, waist and chest. They had taped his hands down to extensions of the gurney, and another strap secured his upper arms. IV tubes dangled from his arms.

He then recited the Bible's 23rd Psalm from beginning to end: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," he began. Burns paused toward the end of the familiar prayer, closed his eyes and exhaled long before continuing.

"Hmmmm. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever," he said, his eyes closed. You can believe that; that's where I'm going."

He then addressed one of his three daughters, perhaps unaware that none of them were witnessing his death: "Boo," he said. "Take care of your sisters.

All of his daughters, Jessica Burns, Courtney Moody and Laken Sides, had visited with Burns earlier in the day.

Burns then paused again.

"Alright devil. Let's do your work," he said. "That's it."

Standing at Burns' head, Emmitt Sparkman, deputy commissioner of institutions for the state Department of Corrections, raised the microphone away from his head and stepped back, folding his hands in front of him. Burns closed his eyes again. He took a deep breath, two, three, and his belly stopped rising.

The only sound was the scratch of pencils on paper as reporters took notes. Gordon, sitting with MDOC Division of Victim Services Director Melinda Braxton, and McBride's nephew, Josh Criddle, sat visibly trembling.

Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton stepped forward about 10 minutes later and put a stethoscope to Burns chest. Removing the scope from her ears, she glanced up briefly at the clock.

"Time of death: 6:50," she pronounced.

Some 20 minutes later, the press gathered again in the Parchman Penitentiary media room, also known as the visitor's intake area. MDOC Commissioner Christopher Epps introduced Greg Gordon, McBride's brother-in law, who made the following statement:

"Mike McBride, as he was known by his many friends, was taken from us in a brutal and vicious attack at the hands of Phillip Hale and Joseph Burns on Nov. 10, 1994.

"For nearly 16 years, the wheels of justice have had our family on a nightmare of a roller-coaster ride. Today, justice was served for that senseless act, and the ride has finally come to an end.

"Our faith in God is strong and he has carried us through this tragic loss. It is only through God's love, mercy and grace that we were able to forgive and pray for the two individuals responsible for Mike's death

"Today will forever be in our memory, but not as a day of victory. Although today does provide our family some sense of closure, victory only comes through Jesus Christ when our family is once again reunited with Mike and others that have already crossed over.

"On behalf of the McBride family, we want to thank the Tupelo Police Department and the tenacity of the detectives who solved this case. We also thank those of you in our community and the law enforcement officials who have lent their support over the years.

"We ask that you would please keep the McBride family and the Burns family, in your prayers, as both families deal with the reality of today's event. Thank you for your time and God bless."

Burns, 42, was the third death-row inmate Mississippi has executed this year, joining Paul Everette Woodward and Gerald James Holland, who died in May. Reportedly, the state could execute another two inmates before the year's end.

Previous Comments

ID

158804

Comment

My only objection to the Death Penalty is that it takes way too long for the appeals process. The sentence should be carried out within 5 years of conviction.

Author

Louie

Date

2010-07-23T08:48:19-06:00

ID

158807

Comment

I'm not a strong proponent of the death penalty, but I do think more than 10 yrs between conviction and the execution is ridiculous.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2010-07-23T09:16:34-06:00

ID

158828

Comment

Louie and Jeff: The purpose of the numerous safeguards put in place between conviction and execution is because the U.S. criminal justice system is fallible. Since 1989, DNA evidence has exonerated 255 wrongfully accused individuals in the U.S., including 17 on death row. Here in Jackson, ask Cedric Willis, or over in Macon, ask Kennedy Brewer or Levon Brooks, or in Sunflower County, ask Arthur Johnson about how wrong some convictions really are. These men all spent years behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Brewer spent years on death row; combined, they spent 62 years in prison. I'm not suggesting Joseph Burns was innocent; however, if three people could be wrongfully convicted in Mississippi, odds are that many more are sitting in prison who didn't commit the crimes they're accused of. Some of them are probably on death row. From the Innocence Project website: "The common themes that run through these cases — from global problems like poverty and racial issues to criminal justice issues like eyewitness misidentification, invalid or improper forensic science, overzealous police and prosecutors and inept defense counsel — cannot be ignored and continue to plague our criminal justice system."

Author

Ronni_Mott

Date

2010-07-23T15:54:36-06:00