How To Deal With A Sadistic Double Killer, And How Not To

Duane Owen and Colin Pitchfork have a lot in common; they were about the same age, Pitchfork was born March 23, 1960, while Owen was born February 13, 1961. They both committed rape; they both committed two murders; and they both deserved to die.

On June 15, Owen was finally put to death. Earlier the same day, Pitchfork learned his fate, or perhaps that should be the fate of the British public, because if the Parole Board has its way, he will be released. Again! If you are not familiar with the case of Colin Pitchfork, here is a recent article. He is infamous for a number of reasons including being the first murderer to be brought to book by DNA. Convicted murderers are regularly paroled in Britain, with some justification, but a man who rapes and murders two teenage girls is a very different proposition from a man who stabs a neighbour in a dispute or who strangles his nagging wife.

Pitchfork’s release rightly caused outrage from the families of his victims and many disinterested members of the public. That he should be released again, however strict the terms of his licence, is seen by many as an insult too far. It could be though that his release will be blocked by the Justice Minister. This has happened before. When he was Home Secretary, Jack Straw blocked the release of Satpal Ram who was eventually paroled, recalled to prison then paroled again several years later.

Duane Owen was stupid enough to commit his murders in Florida. On August 22, 2019, the State executed serial killer Gary Bowles. There were no more executions until February 23 this year when Donald Dillbeck was executed. Dillbeck was given a life sentence in 1979 for murdering a police officer. Eleven years later he walked away from prison (escaped is too strong a word) and went on to stab a motorist to death.

If Dillbeck was a bad dude, Owen was among the worst of the worst. He appealed his rape conviction of 38 year old Georgianna Worden on the novel ground that the victim was dead when he violated her. The other victim was a 14 year old girl. He also attacked at least two others, who survived.

Colin Pitchfork committed his second murder in 1986; Owen committed both his murders in 1984 and had not one but two trials, winning a retrial in 1999 for the murder of babysitter Karen Slattery.

Like all capital murder suspects in the United States, Owen was entitled to due process. It remains to be seen why it would take another two decades and more to execute him, but sadly that is nothing new, even for Florida.

While there is of course no prospect of Colin Pitchfork suffering the same fate, there is no good reason he should not suffer the next best thing, namely to continue to be held in a high security prison where he can rot in darkness.