Derrick Dearman, a convicted killer on death row in Alabama, has made the decision to drop his appeals and be executed for the murders of five people eight years ago. He believes it is time for the families of his victims to receive the justice they deserve and start the closure process. Dearman has expressed that he is at peace with his decision, despite not yet informing the victims’ families directly. He hopes that they will be able to forgive him, not for his own sake, but for their healing process.
Despite having gone through the appeals process for the sake of his family, Dearman feels that he has given them a fair chance to fight for his life. He has also received forgiveness from the father of one of his victims, who expressed sympathy for Dearman’s family. The tragic events that led to Dearman’s conviction began in 2016 when he attacked the victims while they were sleeping and then kidnapped an infant. Dearman attributes his violent behavior to his struggle with drug addiction and acknowledges that it does not excuse his actions.
Dearman pleaded guilty to six counts of capital murder and two counts of kidnapping in court after initially pleading not guilty for the sake of his family. Despite acknowledging that the crimes were committed and he is responsible for them, Dearman still feels that the sober version of himself would not have committed such horrific acts. As he waits for his execution, Dearman has already chosen a spiritual adviser and has expressed his desire for closure and healing for all parties involved in the case.
The state of Alabama has scheduled an execution for another inmate, and Dearman has opted for lethal injection as his method of execution. Although he acknowledges the risks associated with the execution process in the state, Dearman’s main focus is on making sure that he is doing the right thing. He believes that his decision to seek execution is not driven by an inability to live with himself, but rather by a desire to bring closure and healing to those affected by his crimes. Dearman has also expressed empathy towards other inmates on death row and shared his thoughts on the prison system in Alabama.
