Tuesday, 16 February 2016

BBC Three's Life and Death Row: Meet the Texas prisoner who wants to die

Lopez

This is Daniel Lopez, a 27-year-old on death row in Texas, USA. He wants to be executed by lethal injection.

His own legal team is arguing for him not to die, worried that he's mentally unstable and using the justice system as a form of suicide. But he's having none of it.
He's been waiting more than six years on death row and is determined to get it over with as soon as possible.

"The victim's family want me dead," he says.
"Their closure's going to be when I'm dead. My family, it hurts them to see me here day in and day out. When am I going to get executed? This month, next month, next year?
"I want them to move on."

Series two of Life and Death Row
His chilling approach to his own execution is captured on film as he's interviewed from inside prison for BBC Three's new Life and Death Row season.

In March 2009 Lopez was being chased by police.
One officer was ahead of him on the highway preparing to stop his car with a line of spikes, to puncture his tyres.
Lopez spotted him, drove at him and ran him over - killing Lt. Stuart Alexander.

The documentary also has full access to the policeman's widow, Vicky Alexander.

As the time ticks down to Lopez's execution day she becomes increasingly anxious that the prisoner will suddenly change his mind. "I have nightmares now that we're gonna get there and he still has the right, right up to the last second, to say, 'No, I want my appeals.' Maybe that's what he has planned?"
'That's the penalty he has to pay for what he did'
It's unusual for someone on death row to not make any attempt to stop their execution.
Mrs Alexander says: "At least I'll know that he can't hurt anybody any more and that's what my husband would want too."
She's a former nurse who cries as she explains how she's spent so much time trying to save lives.

Now she's going to be a witness, observing from a side room, as life is taken away.
"I've been through six and a half years of hell. That's the penalty he has to pay for what he did."
The film becomes tense and emotional as we also meet Lopez's ex-partner and his children.
"I hope they understand that I truly love all my kids. They can move on and lead a good life, I wish they could have another father in their life that'll be a real good father to them. They could just forget about me."

Alongside the main series there are also some additional extras such as a gallery from death row photographer Scott Langley, a short video explaining exactly how lethal injection works and testimony from a man who has witnessed more than 200 executions.
As for episode one of Life and Death Row, we won't give away what happens in the end.
But Lopez's scheduled date for execution comes the day after Vicky Alexander would have celebrated her 26th wedding anniversary.
One of the last things Lopez says, as he fights back the tears, is: "It's to move everything along, to stop all this pain going around."


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