"Their mother never got to see them having a first dance, first date or walk down the aisle at their wedding," the statement read. However, he declined to rule on whether Honken likely had a role in the 1993 disappearances. Authorities had found almost 150 grams of pure meth in Nicholson's house, and he'd agreed to become an informant in exchange for leniency. "[8] When Cutkomp asked Honken if killing people bothered him, he replied "Nope. Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965, but federal. [8], Cutkomp decided to become an informant. [27], During cross-examination, a defense attorney questioned why someone like Honken would confide in "a couple of crackheads who steal hogs" for a living. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. In 2004, Dustin Lee Honken was . Dustin was a chemistry wizard during his community college days in the early 90's. The death penalty is in flux. 2d 663", "Judge removes Iowa woman from death row", "Dustin Lee Honken - Federal Execution - July 17, 2020", "Judge temporarily stops execution of north Iowa mass murderer Dustin Honken", "Supreme Court keeps federal executions, including that of Iowa murderer Dustin Lee Honken, on hold", "Administration seeks resumption of federal executions", "Federal Executions Can Restart After Supreme Court Declines a Case", "Higher courts rebuff late legal efforts, Iowan Dustin Honken put to death", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1993_Iowa_murders&oldid=1152124538. Honken,a community college drop-out who created his meth empire in the early 1990s,was the third federal prisoner executed this week. [7], During Honken's capital murder trial, his mitigation expert, Lisa Rickert, wrote to his lawyers that not only had she struggled to find any possible mitigation, what she discovered only further cast Honken in a negative light. He was very upset with the way Danny died, said Donoghue, who visited Honken regularly over the past decade. hitType: 'event', Purkey was put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, at 8:19 a.m. local time. In 2004, Dustin Lee Honken was convicted on federal charges in execution-style slayings of five people in Iowa. Purkey, from Lansing, Kansas, wasgiven the death sentencefor raping and killing a 16-year-old girl, Jennifer Long, in Kansas City, Missouri, 1998. [7], Honken and Johnson forced the family into a car at gunpoint and drove to a wooden area outside of the city. In any case, they failed. Honken was pronounced dead after 30 minutes longer than the other two executions. He was pronounced dead at 3:36p.m. Honken was considered so dangerous that the judge took the rare step of impaneling an anonymous jury. Just before his death, Lee reportedly implored to the media at his execution to ask the judge about DNA evidence that was left out of his trial. It further cemented the idea that Lori and her children might have planned for a hasty getaway. We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind, to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system, Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement. Honken is set to die by a lethal. On July 17, 2020, Honken was executed by lethal injection. Honken took the adults out of the car, walked them into the woods, and executed them in front of a pre-dug shallow grave. His biological father, Jim Honken, allegedly beat him, was an alcoholic, and served time in federal prison after committing multiple bank robberies. Johnson admitted that she was involved in Honken's crimes, but blamed him for the murders and said he had manipulated her. Johnson's mother was an abusive and neglectful alcoholic. [40] Circuit Judge David S. Tatel dissented, arguing the statute explicitly requires the federal government to follow state execution protocols. During the sentencing phase, the prosecution said Honken, who they described as an "evil mastermind", deserved to die since he had committed mass murder, killed children, killed a second time months after committing the four initial murders, showed no remorse, and had continued to try to escape prison and commit even more murders while in maximum security prisons. Upon appeal, Angela Johnson's death sentence was reduced to life in prison. I was totally amazed, she said. She was visiting Wildwood, New Jersey, on Memorial Day Weekend with friends in 1990. },false) The EKG would probably be to tell when hes died. gads_event = event; To minimize potential prejudice, the court ordered for officers not to move Honken in the presence of the jury and that table skirts be placed on the counsel tables so the jury would be unable to see the shackles. Terry also drove a truck for Bud Ranken and Bud Schrotter. Circuit vacated District Judge Chutkan's injunction in a per curiam decision. [22] As a reward for his testimony, a judge reduced McNeese's sentence, and he was released from prison on November 14, 2017. Upon learning that Nicholson had disappeared, the government turned to Honken's former dealer, DeGeus. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Greg, Lori, and her daughters had all been shot at least once at close range, execution-style, in the back of the head. FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2004 file photo, Dustin Honken is led by federal marshals to a waiting car after the second day of jury selection in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. But authoritiesneeded five things before they could begin to prove their case: the bodies. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Honken had recently learned Nicholson, a former drug-dealing associate, was cooperating with investigators and would likely testify against Honken at trial. The government paid for snacks, drinks and pizza. Mueller uses a wheelchair, which he said can complicate the logistics of plane travel, so he decided to drive to Indiana from his home in Arkansas. President Donald Trump has overseen more federal executions than any president in decades, and his Justice Department has asked courts to overturn a decision so it can put two more men to death this week before he leaves office. CNN The US government on Friday executed Dustin Lee Honken, the third federal inmate to receive the death penalty this week after the punishment was revived by the Trump administration. But unlike the two executed earlier this week, Honken lacked headline-grabbing mitigating circumstances. ", Honken then said "Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for me." Honken told Cutkomp that he was worried about DeGeus turning on him. When the time of death was announced, Honken, 52, became the first Iowan in more than 50 years to be put to death in an Iowa case. He reportedly did not understand that there wouldnt be any later, according to Kansascity.com. He had a rare right-left brain combination that made him attractive enough to land a scholarship to North Iowa Area Community College in the early 1990s. [6][10] Honken's defense presented testimony from his family, and pointed to his age and lack of prior violent convictions as mitigating factors. Death-row inmate Dustin Lee Honken, who killed a family of four, including two children and another person, was executed on Friday, July 17, at 4 pm local time, marking the government's third federal execution in a month after 17 years. After a court found that Honken posed an extreme security risk due to his history of escape attempts and threatening witnesses, he was ordered to wear a stun belt and be shackled and bolted to the floor during his trial. "[30] She called him a "sociopath who will never admit to what he has done. It amounted to a small fraction of the more than $107,000 the agency spent on hotels for the witnesses and staff who flocked to western Indiana last summer for the federal governments first executions in nearly two decades. Maurice Chammah Other security measures included fitting Honken with a stun belt under his clothes to prevent him from trying to escape. There was no reason for the government to kill him, in haste or at all, Nolan said. Its weirdly laughable. The two ended their relationship shortly after Nicholson's arrest. Acting on a tip that Johnson might be skipping town, authorities indicted her with aiding and abetting the murders of Nicholson, Duncan, Kandi, Amber and her ex-boyfriend DeGeus. Its also not clear how many prison workers flew to Indiana or how many nights they stayed, but Mueller said at least a few guards were at the Holiday Inn with him and other witnesses in July. Yet Donoghue, of the Sisters of Providence just outside Terre Haute, said she was startled by how calm Honken sounded over the phone. The high cost of capital punishmentfrom trials to appeals to executionshas been a constant feature of debates about the punishment and could come up if Congress takes on the issue. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. }); Their attraction was mutual, and she would shortly dump her current boyfriend, Honkens dealer,DeGeus, for the boss. However this is a steptoward healing of broken hearts and shattered lives.". Dustin eventually released his sister. This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 10:41. pg.acq.push(function() { Whoopi Goldberg interrupts 'The View' live segment, raises her voice and hits co-host, Demi Moore has not left Bruce Willis's side and is doing everything to make his 'last moments happy', 'Liza took a final breath and sighed': Liza Burke, 21, dies 6 weeks after stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Baywatch star Jeremy Jacksons ex-wife Loni Willison spotted looking for food in LA waste, 'Go for a size bigger': Honey Boo Boo slammed for flaunting 'tight' prom dress with boyfriend Dralin Carswell. }); [23], Honken and Johnson were tried separately. He worked for Holland Construction in Forest City and later drove a semi for Schmidt Trucking of Britt. As the investigation into Honken continued, he killed another drug dealer working with him, Terry DeGeus, beating him with a bat and shooting him. The man they killed today could have spent the rest of his days helping others and further redeeming himself., In a statement, Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said just punishment has been carried out.. An officer outside the the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, where the federal government was preparing to execute Daniel Lewis Lee in July 2020. two more men to death this week before he leaves office, Christopher Vialva was executed in September. [8], For his cooperation, Cutkomp was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. [7] Johnson told Honken that DeGeus was personally using too much meth which was supposed to be sold, and that they should deal with each other instead. The Justice Department has executed Dustin Lee Honken in Terre Haute, Ind., the third federal inmate put to death by the government this week. [32] In December 2014, federal prosecutors later announced they would not pursue a second death sentence for Johnson. Twitter document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ ga('ads.send', { Honken had threatened Nicholson in the past, saying he could order a hit on him or anyone else if he wanted. Johnson discussed the murders in detail, which McNeese secretly recorded. I will be in touch shortly. Iowa outlawed the death penalty 55 years ago. Starting just minutes after its scheduled time, Honken recited Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem, "Heaven-Haven," before saying a Hail Mary, though he tagged on an additional line: "Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for me.". "I've climbed far bigger hills than that little hill. Read More:Angela Johnson: Where is Dustin Lee Honkens Girlfriend Now? He claimed he had nothing to do with the 1993 disappearances. He graduated from West Hancock High School in 1980 a record holder in pole vaulting who enjoyed being a junior high wrestling team member. His last words were, "Holy Mary, mother of God . He killed five people, including two young girls, in 1993. When I get out, he's still dead." Honken and Cutkomp were promptly arrested on federal drug-trafficking charges. 0. He also pointed to Honken's youth, saying, "The court needs to consider his age. He reportedly wanted three last meals before his execution. Born into a life of uncertainty, Honken grew up in Britt, a small town west of Mason City in north central Iowa. [36], On December 5, 2019, the Supreme Court denied a stay of Chutkan's injunction, while the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reviewed Chutkan's decision. She told them about Honken's and Johnson's search for Nicholson and that she had seen the pistol used in the 1993 murders in Johnson's closet before it was destroyed. Bumming around before starting at North Iowa, Honken fell into selling marijuana and cocaine, quickly building a list of customers who paid thousands for their fix. However, he and Tim were arrested on federal drug trafficking charges in March 1993. Meth didnt enter the picture until 1991, after he had completed a year of community college chemistry, earning an A- average. More: Iowa outlawed the death penalty 55 years ago. During separate trials in 2004 and 2005, Dustin Honken and Angela Johnson were each convicted of the murders and both were given the death penalty. They sentenced him to death specifically for the brutality and senselessness of the childrens killings. [8] On July 24, 1993, Johnson pretended to be a lost saleswoman to get into Nicholson's home, where she and Honken bound him and forced him to record a statement claiming that Honken was innocent. Dustin Honken, convicted of killing five people, will be executed July 17, 2020. On behalf of the prosecution, Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Reinert argued for a life sentence, spending hours making a case for sentencing enhancements on the grounds that Honken had something to do with the disappearances of Nicholson, Lori, Kandace, Amber, and DeGeus: "It appears that these people are dead. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Honken was involved in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, and one of his dealers was set to testify against him, so Honken and Johnson murdered him along with his girlfriend and her two young daughters. Honken, who had the look of a classic 1980s nerd and the smarts to back up the appearance, was talented in math and science, but was an eloquent writer, too. Other van rentals for shuttling around staff and witnesses totaled at least $4,500 over the five executions, while a bus rental cost $6,330. Johnson was originally sentenced to death for her part in the crime but had her sentence reduced to life in prison. Dustin Honken, Iowa born and bred, inmate #06951-029, was executed in July at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind. In July 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the conviction, finding sufficient evidence to conclude that Johnson had participated in the murders. However, this is a step toward healing of broken hearts and shattered lives.. As part of an agreement, she agreed to drop all of her appeals. In 1986, Honken schemed to kill one of his accomplices after stealing a car. Dustin Honken, 52, who prosecutors said killed key witnesses to stop them from testifying in his case, received a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.. Honken had physically and verbally abused his sister, Alyssa. His execution is fast approaching and he is scheduled to die on July 17th at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Dustin Honken they wanted to kill is long gone. While Honken's execution is the last one in this weeklong spree, Keith Dwayne Nelson, who kidnapped and raped a 10-year-old girl, is scheduled to be executed Aug. 28. Here's what Lee, Purkey, and Honken wished to eat for their final meals and the words they spoke as they left the world: Lee, a 47-year-old white supremacist, who tortured and killed an Arkansas family in 1996, was executed in Indiana early morning on Tuesday, June 14. He was formally sentenced to death on October 11, 2005. The two-night hotel stay cost around $200, and the tab was picked up by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. [40] On June 29, 2020, the Supreme Court denied Honken's petition for review, with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting.[40]. During that first execution and those that followed, the prisoners ate sack lunches and box meals after the mess hall closed for the lockdown. [3] Johnson was also sentenced to death, the first woman sentenced to death by a United States federal jury since the 1950s, but the sentence was overturned in 2012,[5] and she was resentenced to life without parole in 2014. ga('ads.send', { Johnson and Honken drove the four to a wooded area north of Mason City where Honken first took Duncan and Nicholson to an already dug grave and shot them execution-style. is a former staff writer whose work focuses on prisons and jails. Honken, 52, was sentenced to die in October 2005 after being convicted of numerous offenses, including five counts of murder among them two small children during the course of a continuing. The spending records from July and August offer glimpses of not only the cost but the logistics of how the government puts prisoners to death. On one of his drug runs, Honken met Angela Johnson, who was then dating DeGeus. Nearly three decades after Honken coldly ended the lives of five people all in an effort to protect himself and his criminal enterprise, he has finally faced justice, Kupec said. Using a ruse to gain entry, Johnson and Honken did make a video of Nicholson denying his previous police statements, but then bound and gagged the adults, forced the children to pack bags and walked them at gunpoint to their car. 'Stop it!' The folding table to register them cost $47.98 at Lowes. The Bureau of Prisons refused to comment on the payment records or to answer questions about the operations outlined in the documents. Later, after learning DeGeus also agreed to cooperate with authorities, Johnson tricked him into taking her to a vacant farm where Honken beat and killed him. "[20], Bennett resentenced Honken to 27 years in prison, saying the minimum sentence was sufficiently harsh. [6], Honken, who was proficient in math, science, and writing, earned a scholarship to North Iowa Area Community College in 1991. There are some small expenses that appear to be absent, such as last meals for three of the prisoners. The governments approach still stung months later: We feel that they go out of their way to not accommodate us.. Yet, Marge knew foul play was involved as she never heard from her daughter or grandchildren again. Families for two of Honken's victims provided public statements, differing in tone and length, but each rife with emotion. Theyre willing to go to extraordinary lengths in terms of spending our money and then hiding the footprints of it..

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