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A pardon? I don’t think so! He is really reaching now. For years he has fought his execution with so many excuses. Recently he used one that actually surprised me, by saying that he had been on Death Row for so long that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to execute him now. I guess he forgot that the citizen of Utah wanted him executed more than 20 years ago and it is his own fault that it has taken so long. So far that argument as not won either. Now, he wants a pardon. Yes, a pardon, which means he would just get out of prison and it is like he never committed the murder. That is unbelievable that his lawyers would even go along with it. He wants to start an organic farm in Box Elder County (Northern Utah) with troubled teens, so that he could counsel them and help them to not become like him. How many of you who are parents would let him counsel your teens? I hope none of you. He has never taken responsibility for his actions or behaviors. Has he ever expressed real remorse, the kind that is not just for his convenience, to help get him out of trouble? Maybe what he is thinking is he will get a commutation and can do this “project” that way, but with an escape record like his, who would trust him to not try to escape? I seriously doubt that the Utah Parole Board will go for it. He will have a hearing with them on June 10. I do not expect them to pardon him or commute his sentence. For them to do that, he would have had to have shown extraordinary behavior in prison, showing that he deserves mercy. I do not believe he meets that criteria, since he did one murder while in prison (Michael Burdell) and held a “hostage situation” in the prison visiting room while in prison, and I bet he has had other infractions. He has not behaved well while in prison. He does not deserve any consideration for a commutation, let alone a pardon. I don’t think there has been a pardon for a murderer in Utah in some time. He would certainly not be my choice and I have a feeling most Utahns would agree with me.

There are 3 links below of the stories of the victim’s of Ronnie Lee Gardner. Please read them. Please remember them. They should not be forgotten throughout all of this.

Gardner wants pardon so he can help troubled youth
Ronnie Lee Gardner: Life and (impending) death of a double murderer (a very good article on all things with Ronnie Lee Gardner)
Gardner’s victims: ‘Gardner has destroyed enough lives’
Gardner’s victim and soul mate were on spiritual journey
Gardner’s victims: Nick Kirk was shot in 1985, and for him and his family, things were never the same.
Gardner timeline: Lifetime of violent crime led to death row
Gardner execution appeals running out
Utah high court denies death row inmate’s appeal
Executioner: Death by firing squad is ’100 percent justice’ (a great article)