Source: Town Hall
by John R Lott, Jr.
“Some people support the death penalty to deliver justice, while others argue it deters future murders and saves lives. But a simple proof shows the death penalty deters more than life without parole: look at the choices murderers make when facing trial. Time and again, mass murderers plead for life without parole to avoid execution. Without the threat of the death penalty, they would have no reason to negotiate. This week, Bryan Kohberger, accused of brutally murdering four Idaho college students in 2022, became the latest to want life in prison over the death penalty—just weeks before his August trial. Prominent killers frequently take similar plea deals. Patrick Crusius, who murdered 23 people in a racially motivated 2019 Walmart shooting in El Paso, accepted a plea deal in March 2025. James Holmes, who killed 12 and injured 70 in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting, pleaded guilty in 2015 to avoid execution.” (07/09/25)