To Madge Burton, it was not news that Rhett DePew's death penalty case is stuck in the wheels of justice. The Oxford, Ohio, woman has agonized over the painfully slow pace of DePew's case every hour since he murdered her two daughters and granddaughter and burned down their house on Nov. 23, 1984. Burton said yesterday. It has devastated my life. Madge Burton, who retired but returned to work because she couldn't tolerate staying at home with her thoughts, said she plans to watch DePew's execution.
Some murder cases remain paralyzed in the courts for years.
There are 190 killers, all men, on Death Row. Many have been there for more than a decade. The capital punishment report, first issued voluntarily in 1996 and made a legal requirement last year, goes to Gov. Bob Taft, the Ohio Supreme Court and legislative leaders. Montgomery reported the timing of death penalty appeals has been dramatically condensed between 1995 and 1998. We still have a few pockets where there are unexplained delays.