Mother Of Murdered Infant Requests Clemency For Her Baby’s Killer

In 1999, Charles Frederick Warner was convicted of sexual assault and first-degree murder for the death of his ex-girlfriend’s 11-month-old daughter, Adrianna Waller. He was given the death penalty and is reportedly scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Jan. 15 of next year.

Although his request for clemency was denied, the mother of the deceased child has made a shocking request. According to KTLA, Shonda Waller, who was only 22-years-old at the time of her baby’s death, has reportedly asked for Warner’s life to be spared. Waller has also released a detailed, heartfelt statement about her perspective and opposing view of the death penalty. Although she suffered a tremendous loss, she personally feels the death penalty is not a form of retribution. It won’t change what has been done. She also has strong Christian beliefs and feels God should be the only one to give and take a life.

“I don’t want to see him to be sentenced to death,” Waller reportedly told KFOR. “That would dishonor my daughter, it would dishonor me and everything I believe in… If they truly want to honor me then they will do away with the death penalty for him and they will give him life in prison without the possibility of parole because that’s the only thing that’s going to honor me.” She continued, “I can only see him spending the rest of his life in prison and dying in prison without him ever walking outside of those cell walls. I don’t see any justice in just sentencing someone to die. To me, the justice is in someone living with what they have done to you to your family, and having to live with that the rest of their life knowing they will never get to walk out those doors.”

She also expressed that seeing him die would make her feel as if she’s no better than him. She made it clear she does not want him to die because of what he did. She’d prefer if he died naturally when its “his time.”

“When he dies I want it to be because it’s his time, not because he’s been executed because due to what happened to me and my child.” said Waller. “I don’t want that on my hands. It makes me feel like I’m no different than him, and I don’t want to feel that way.”

However, prosecutor Lou Keel feels otherwise. Given the extent of the child’s gruesome injuries, Keel reportedly doesn’t think Warner deserves to live. The poor baby reportedly sustained a broken skull, fractured jaw and bruising as a result of shaking. Then, to make matters worse, Warner had also raped her.

“This person doesn’t deserve to live.” Keel said. “If you’re going to have a death penalty, if there are going to be some crimes, some homicides, that are so atrocious… then the rape and the brutal murder of a child has to qualify.”

According to KFOR, Waller has relocated and no longer resides in the state of Oklahoma. She also has no plans to attend Warner’s execution in January. Do you agree with Shonda Waller’s views of the death penalty? Share your thoughts.

[Image(s) via Bing, KFOR]