Day three of Senate death penalty hearings

TOPEKA – The Senate Judiciary Committee is heading into its third day of hearings on proposals to abolish the state’s death penalty.

Sen. Tim Owens, R-Overland Park, who chairs the committee, warned that the hearings my extend into Friday.

Included in the written testimony for Thursday are statements from Lois Muller, mother of Heather Muller, who was murdered by Johnathan and Reginald Carr in Dec. 2000. Larry Heyka, father of Brad Heyka, who was also killed by the Carr brothers.

The is also written testimony from Jen Sanderholm, sister of Jodi Sanderholm who was raped, sodomized and murdered by Justin Thurber in Jan. 2007.

The victims’ families all oppose abolishing the state’s death penalty.

The committee is considering two bills that would eliminate Kansas’ capital punishment law. Kansas reestablished the death penalty in 1994, there are currently 10 people on death row, but the state has not executed anyone since the 1960s.

This story was originally published January 21, 2010 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Day three of Senate death penalty hearings."