icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
31 Jan, 2019 09:18

Muslim child-murderer sues prison over refusal to allow imam instead of priest attend death chamber

Muslim child-murderer sues prison over refusal to allow imam instead of priest attend death chamber

A Muslim inmate in Alabama has asked a court to postpone his execution, claiming the state has violated his rights by not allowing an imam to be present when he is put to death, instead of a Christian cleric.

Dominique Ray, 42, who is scheduled to be executed on February 7 for raping and killing a teenage girl in 1995, also claimed that prison officials nixed his request not to have the Christian chaplain present during his execution.

His attorneys filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections, and asked the judge to halt his execution while the court considers his claim.

Also on rt.com ‘Let’s rock’: Tennessee double murderer's last words before electric chair execution

The response from the department, however, was that Ray would receive the same treatment as other non-Christian inmates. Only a correctional officer and the prison chaplain are allowed to be in the death chamber “regardless of the chaplain’s spiritual belief or that of the inmate," a spokesman said in an email.

Under Alabama prison rules, inmates can only have their own spiritual adviser witness the execution through the window of an adjoining room.

Tiffany Harville, 15, vanished after being picked up by Ray and his friend Marcus Owden for a night out in July 1995. Her body was found in a field a month later.

READ MORE: Washington Supreme Court rules death penalty unconstitutional, changes death sentences to life

Later, Owden confessed to police that they raped the girl, and Ray had cut her throat and taken her purse, which contained $6 or $7. Ray was sentenced to death, while Owden is serving a life sentence without parole.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57