A Persuasive Paper Taking the Side of John Couey - Essay Example

The girl’s body was found, after a massive three-week search that continued for several weeks, buried in a dirt hole, wrapped in garbage bags along with her purple dolphin toy. The cause of death explained was asphyxiation and it was suggested that Jessica was buried alive. Dirt under her finger nails and two holes poked into the garbage bags showed her efforts to escape from the bags. On medical examination tears in her vaginal area suggested that she was raped before being buried alive. Her hands were tied with speaker wire and according to the medical examiners she was alive up to five minutes until she suffocated to death (Schoetz 2007, Porteus 2007a).

Hence, the evidence obtained from the law enforcing agencies and the medical examination of the girl’s retrieved body proved that Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and then buried alive. The police investigation pointed towards John Evander Couey as the major suspect of Jessica Lunsford case. The jury and the Florida Judge sentenced John Couey to death for the rape and murder of Jessica. In spite of the prosecution’s accusations and evidences against John Couey, there were many loopholes in the case that suggest towards the innocence of John Couey.

Jessica Lunsford’s body was found in a dirt hole near the trailer home of John Couey by the law enforcing agencies. . Furthermore, Couey’s fingerprints were also found on the garbage bags. The wire that had been used to tie Jessica’s hands was also found in Couey’s home. According to the Judge, Richard Howard, Couey hid Jessica in his closet for several weeks and when was fearful of the police he buried her in a dirt hole. Couey was arrested and was put in the Citrus County jail (Porteus 2007a, Schoetz 2007).

A Miami jury decided that John Couey should be executed with a 10-2 vote. Circuit Judge Richard Howard sentenced Couey to death, showing harmony with the jury’s decision (Porteus 2007b). The factors and appeals put forward by the defense attorney were rejected by the Judge and the jury showed through their decision that the appeals did not convince them enough. Nevertheless, if the case of John Couey is observed and studied thoroughly many points, evidences and circumstances show harmony with John Couey.

The defense attorneys proved that the 48-year-old John Couey was suffering from a long-standing mental illness and was mentally impaired. Furthermore he was heavily dependent on drugs and alcohol. He also had a childhood history of sexual abuse by the boyfriend of his mother. John Couey was born when his mother was only 16 years old, living in four different homes before reaching the age of 10 and hence suffering a life of neglect and abuse at a very tender age. Defense attorney Alan Fanter quoted that Couey was a “life worth-saving” (Porteus 2007b).

The defense attorneys wanted to prove in front of the judge and the jury members that the act performed by the defendant was a result of his mental illness and his childhood years spent in sexual abuse, violence and neglect. According to Fanter, the act performed by Couey was