sk8, I feel terrible for this child. I know it's hard to do, but one has to step back from the emotions of this case, which indeed run very deep and rightfully so. Violence begets violence. Killing anyone against their will is violence. When governments sanction killing by executing people they are being violent. This reminds me of the old phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do." I'm trying to explain that when people see death being enthusiastically endorsed as a solution by so many people, and by their government, it increases the acceptability of violence. A more violent society makes it less safe for all of us.

poobah - you may feel different if this was your child

poobah: The death penalty is intended to be a "deterent!" Most law abiding citizens in this country follow the letter of the law because they realize that there are certain consequences set in place by the legislature to deal with their actions. If this piece of sh-t was too stupid to realize that he could've been put to death based on killing an innocent child (depending on what state he lived in) well too God Damn bad for him! I do agree that spending life in prison would be a harsher sentence than being put to death. But with that option you run the risk of this scumbag killing again in prison (whether it's a guard or another inmate). Research has shown that it is cheaper to house an offender for life than to sentence them to death. This is because of the expence of appealing the sentence which usually can take years and years of boggng down the justice system. There needs to be some serious change in the system so that once found guilty and convicted you are not put to death 15 years later! The punishment needs to be immediate to be effective.

Can't they just put him in prison and have some other prisoner do a "Jeffery Dahmer" on him?

As far as the death penalty being cheaper, it is not. You have to remember to factor in all of the legal costs that the states incur during the appeals process. For example in CA the current death row population of 670, accounts for $63.3 million annually. The cost of a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty would be $11.5 million per year.

Incredible....his selfish, murderous "tantrum" defies any stretch of logic. To use a boy as a value-less pawn in revenge, to watch the terror in Cody's eyes, and to no doubt watch Cody thrash trying to get away and yet he continued strangling him...my god Charles Avey is a monster of despicable evil. He has forfeited any right to life on this earth. He is of no worth and he will not be missed.

What kind of a person can actually do this? Strangulation? That's a lot different than shooting someone...I mean, he had to sit there and literally watch the life drain from this poor kid's body. Jesus. I hope the family finds peace.

beeferer, I am happy to explain my comment. You helped explain it yourself by commenting that "The consensus here seems to be that everyone else is in favor of the death penalty too." That's exactly what I mean. The more people hear that killing people is a solution to ANY problem, including your economics of incarceration, the more acceptable it becomes. You can keep hollering for death and more violence, but don't blame anyone but yourself for helping to build an environment in which death is a solution to problems. Understand now? I doubt it.

spark, killing anyone against their will is violence. Period.

I have a big problem with saying this is the reason he did it. He did it because he had no respect for the human life of the boy: he thought he "owned" him and so could do with him what he wishes.

Do the same thing to the sick SOB An Eye For An Eye.

poobah - Taking this loser out is not violence. It's justice. There's a big difference.

Let's not forget that an innocent boy was killed because of this wife beating, child killing idiot. He of all people deserves no mercy. Just for the terror that this young man must have went through. For goodness sake he probably trusted this monster. This man deserves to be punished by the same means. No matter what he was mad about or who he was mad at the scumbag should have taken his own life.

poobah-"beeferer said, "A bullet costs about a quarter." Violence like this terrible tragedy occurs in part because of thinking just like yours -".................The consensus here seems to be that everyone else is in favor of the death penalty too. I pointed out that the death penalty is way cheaper than life in prison. How does that line of thinking cause violence? Please explain. I would like to hear your reasoning behind this well thought out statement that you made.

The United States Criminal Justice System isn't based on "eye for and eye" consequences. My initial thought was too bad WI doesn't have the death penalty. Then I calmed down and realized the best punishment is for him to live with what he did behind bars. While what this guy did is especially disgusting, the severest punishment he will receive is life in prison without parole.

Statistics have shown that states with the death penalty have a higher murder rate than those without the death penalty. The death penalty does not reduce murders. Nor does it protect society. If the death penalty doesn't deter murder, why would killing the prisoner for his or her actions be any better than what they did? Not only that, but the cost to execute someone is more expensive than locking them up for life.

Did you know...
*14 States and the District of Columbia banned the Death Penalty (Wisconsin Included)
*36 States have the death penalty
*The United States Allies have all abolished the death penalty
*Countries who allow death penalty: North & South Korea, Iran, Iraq, Afganistan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Cuba, India, China, Libya, Japan, Jamacia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somolia, Uganda, Thailand...(http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html)

According to Amnesty International, 137 countries have abolished the death penalty. During 2007, 24 countries, 88% in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States alone, executed 1,252 people compared to 1,591 in 2006. Nearly 3,350 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. More than 20,000 prisoners are on death row across the world.

Unfortunately, there are no solutions to those who commit crimes of any kind. Let alone, what punishments are acceptable in cases such as this.

Death penalty, for this sick sob, no problem here, as a matter of fact I would be happy to pull the plug myself if no one is available! Problem is, how many "Death Penalty" prisoners are also sitting in their cells, getting fed, clothed and kept warm while they study the law to become lawyers, again at our expense, so they can overturn their own sentence? Has anyone noticed how long this goes on? Year$ and Year$ that's how long!! If this criminal gets in the position of getting the Death Penalty imposed, let us at least put him (or her) to "sleep" sooner rather than later. Let's actually make the Death Penalty mean something!

It's too bad in situations like this Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty.

beeferer said, "A bullet costs about a quarter." Violence like this terrible tragedy occurs in part because of thinking just like yours -- that life is worth no more than twenty five cents. It's incredibly ironic to hear people screaming for someone to be killed because they are so upset with someone else having been killed.

Wisconsin needs the death penalty. How many of our tax dollars go towards supporting these "people"? How many people are in Wisconsin prisons with a life sentence? This is such a waste. Do you realize that over half of the world's population would love to live in such luxury? Searching the internet, I found the average housing cost for prisoners to be around $27,000/year. Now in 2007 there were 2,299,116 people in state and federal prisons. Divide that by 50 to get an average for each of the 50 states and you get 45,982 prisoners/state. 45,982 multiplied by $27,000 and you get $1,241,522,640/year. A bullet costs about a quarter.

. . . or use a shim on a roomie.

"Life imprisonment also stops people from repeating their crimes." - Not if they decide to kill a guard.

popcorn, many abused women come to believe the abuse is their fault and if they were just nicer to the man the abuse would stop. It's called battered woman syndrome.
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The only good thing that happened here was that when he confessed to his ex-wife what he had done, she persuaded him to turn himself in, without further violence.
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Life imprisonment also stops people from repeating their crimes.

what a bastard this guy is he needs to rot taking it out on a kid omg where is his brains>???and i dont know why his wife didnt turn it in sooner when she got hit with a hammer she waited too long

DickTracy and I concur, even if the death penalty didn't deter them from the beginning, it would certainly stop them from repeating such crimes.

Truly sick and sad, I agree this guy deserves the harshest penalty possible!
Death penalty extremely appropriate!!!!
Get rid of the worthless trash!!
As a parent of four, it sickens me to read these stories of adults abusing and/or killing these innocent children!
SICK SICK SICK!!!!!!!!!

Wisconsin needs the death penalty for scrotbags like this! Seriously, and eye for an eye! Kill him before he kills again!

Sick sick ba$tard! Seriously! Rot in hell doesn't seem like a sufficient sentence....

I know that I should probably pray for this man, but I can't help but hope he rots in hell!