Missouri plans to execute David Zink on July 14th at 6pm. He was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Amanda Morton, whose car he had rear-ended in July 2001 near Stafford, MO. Before his trial, David told the court his trial counsel had a conflict of interest and asked for another lawyer. The court refused, so David chose to represent himself at trial, where he was convicted and sentenced to death. David suffered from considerable brain damage as a child from a very serious case of meningitis/encephalitis that inhibits his ability to control his impulses and make decisions. This probably influenced both his commission of this offense and his ability to function adequately as his own trial lawyer.
While the rest of the nation is moving away from the death penalty because of concerns about innocence, cost, cruelty and the impact on those with serious mental health problems, Missouri is continuing on pace for a record number of executions this year. I encourage you to call Governor Nixon to urge him to stay the execution at 573-751-3222. Please pray for the families of David Zink and Amanda Morton. There will be a vigil on July 14th at 4:30 pm in St. Joseph at the intersection of Belt & Frederick; you are invited to come and pray with us.
Daryl Charron, C.PP.S.
