By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (April 14th 2017)
Lessons Learned?
The USA restored the death penalty after a four year break in 1976. In fact, there had been no executions since 1967 – the Supreme Court ruled the statutes unconstitutional in 1972 (Furman v Georgia). States amended their statutes and in 1976 the Supreme Court ruled Georgia’s new death penalty statute was constitutional (Gregg v Georgia).
Anyone on Death Row prior to the Furman decision had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The first person executed since restoration was Gary Gilmore (Utah January 17th 1977).
Somewhat surprisingly, all of the first five executed since restoration were white – only one fought against his fate. The other four, including Gilmore, abandoned their appeals and demanded to be executed. One – the first in Virginia for twenty years – was a former police officer turned armed robber and murderer.
Cops and Robbers
Frank Coppola was the first person executed by Virginia since 1962 (Carroll Garland on March 2nd for murder). Among the careers Coppola had in his short life (38 when he died) was police officer in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was forced to leave in 1967 after making false statements about an assault on a prisoner committed by a colleague. He had also tried to become a priest – quitting after a year – and a sports scholarship that he did not complete. He joined the police in 1965.
In the 1970s he had a new career in crime, having been sentenced to four years for burglary in 1971. Seven years later, the former prisoner committed the crimes that cost him his life. He robbed and viciously beat Muriel Hatchell to death in her home.
Donna Mills and Joseph Miltier – also an accomplice in the 1971 crime – were involved in the robbery and Coppola’s wife, Karen, was an accessory. Hatchell’s husband, Peyton, arrived during the robbery and was viciously clubbed over the head. He was severely injured, but survived.
Cops Turned Robbers
Coppola was convicted of robbery and murder on September 26th 1978. He was sentenced to death. His accomplices received long terms in prison. Coppola chose to waive appeals and went to the electric chair on August 10th 1982, over 20 years since the last execution in that state. Coppola’s execution was botched, requiring two jolts of electricity.
He was not the only former police officer to turn to crime before committing a further crime that resulted in execution. During his career as a police officer, which began in March 1920, James Power disgraced the profession (http://fittedin.org/fittedin/?p=899). He was thrown out just shy of three years later. He made a living by impersonating a police officer and demanding money with menaces from courting couples. On July 2nd 1927 he raped and murdered Olive Turner, the offence that sent him to the gallows on January 31st 1928.
Infamous
Over 55 earlier an even worse example occurred in Northern Ireland. Sub-Inspector Thomas Montgomery, a seemingly respectable police officer, was anything but. The officer needed money, so he tried to rob the Northern Bank on June 29th 1871, as it was closing. He murdered cashier, William Glass, with a spike. Montgomery then took charge of the investigation into Glass’ murder.
Eventually witnesses placed him at the scene of the crime an hour earlier, and colleagues discovered his financial woes. They built a case against him which resulted in his conviction after two mistrials. Montgomery was the last person executed in Omagh jail – going to the gallows on August 26th 1873.