The inmate has been sentenced to death for the murder of a woman he stabbed soon after being released from prison, orders final meal as per regulation and awaits execution.
Starke, FL: Florida authorities are preparing to execute a death row prisoner who was convicted of brutally stabbing a woman to death. The prisoner in question had previously served time in prison for rape, and shockingly, was released just months before committing this heinous murder. That murder then led to his death sentence.
Darryl B. Barwick, 56 , is scheduled for the death sentence in the evening hours of May 3rd and is the third execution of 2023 for the state of Florida.
According to officials from the Florida Department of Corrections, just hours prior to his scheduled execution by lethal injection, the inmate was provided with his final meal as per protocol. The meal he had requested included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas with rice, cornbread, ice cream, and soda.
While the tradition of offering a final meal to death row inmates is controversial, it remains a customary practice in many states across the US. Some argue that this tradition provides a small sense of comfort to the prisoner before their inevitable death, while others believe that it is an unnecessary and expensive gesture that glamorizes the act of execution.
The Murder Charge
Barwick confessed to murdering a 24 year-old, Rebecca Wendt, in 1986. It was reported that Barwick observed Wendt sunbathing in her Panama City apartment complex. Barwick then followed Wendt to her apartment where he told authorities he planned on robbing her. But according to Barwick, Wendt resisted and he subsequently stabbed her 37 times.
Authorities stated there was no evidence of sexual assault. However, semen belonging to Barwick was found on a bed sheet where her body laid. Barwick’s previous crime involved sexual assault.
In 1986, Barwick was sentenced to death for several crimes including first-degree murder, armed burglary, attempted sexual battery, and armed robbery. However, in 1989, the Florida Supreme Court overturned his conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct.
Prosecutorial misconduct refers to unethical or illegal actions taken by a prosecutor in the course of a criminal trial. This can include actions such as withholding evidence that would benefit the defense, making false statements or arguments, using discriminatory practices to select jurors, and engaging in other unethical or illegal behavior that could prejudice the outcome of the trial.
Barwick was retried in 1992 and found guilty again, with the jury unanimously recommending the death penalty.
The Execution
According to officials from the Florida Department of Corrections, just hours prior to his scheduled execution by lethal injection, the inmate was provided with his final meal as per protocol. The meal he had requested included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas with rice, cornbread, ice cream, and soda.
While the tradition of offering a final meal to death row inmates is controversial, it remains a customary practice in many states across the US. Some argue that this tradition provides a small sense of comfort to the prisoner before their inevitable death, while others believe that it is an unnecessary and expensive gesture that glamorizes the act of execution.
Less than a month ago, Florida officials executed another inmate, Louis Gaskin, also known as the “Ninja Killer”. Gaskin was executed via lethal injection for the murders of a middle-aged couple in their Flagler County Home.
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