Mark Asay
| Mark Asay | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark James Asay March 12, 1964 |
| 💀Died | August 24, 2017 (aged 53) Florida State Prison Near Starke, Bradford County, FloridaAugust 24, 2017 (aged 53) |
| 💼 Occupation | |
Mark James Asay (March 12, 1964 – August 24, 2017) was an American murderer and white supremacist who was on death row in Florida[1] for the July 1987 murders of two men in Jacksonville, Florida. Asay is also notable as he was the first inmate executed by the state of Florida since the conclusion of US Supreme Court case Hurst v. Florida. He was also the first white man to be executed by the state of Florida for a racially-motivated murder of a black man, Robert Lee Booker.[2]
The crime[edit]
In the early hours of Saturday, July 18, 1987, Mark Asay was with his brother Robbie, and their friend, Bubba McQuinn. The three men were headed to downtown Jacksonville in search of prostitutes after a night of drinking alcohol and shooting pool. Robbie Asay way driving alone while Mark Asay and McQuinn were driving together. At one point, Asay had noticed that his brother had stopped his truck and was engaging in a friendly conversation with Robert Booker, a 34-year-old black man.[3] Asay almost immediately flew into a rage, getting out of his own truck, hurling racial slurs at Booker, and finally shooting him once in the stomach. Booker fled the scene, but was later found dead in an alley. His cause of death was confirmed to be blood loss from an intestinal artery severed by the gunshot. Asay later testified at his trial that he was unaware that he had fatally wounded Booker. Upon Asay getting back into the truck, McQuinn asked him why he confronted and shot Booker. Asay's response was reportedly "because you gotta show a nigger who's boss."[4]
Following the disappearance of Booker, Asay and McQuinn continued to search for prostitutes while Asay's brother drove off in a different direction. Eventually, the two encountered an acquaintance named Renee. The two men were apparently unaware that 'Renee' was actually 26-year-old Robert McDowell dressed as a woman.[3] The men negotiated a deal for oral sex and planned for McQuinn and McDowell to go into the alley while Asay remained on the lookout. When McDowell refused to get into the truck with McQuinn, Asay grabbed him by the arm and began shooting into his chest. McDowell was shot six times in all, and investigators reported that three of the shots could have proved fatal. As Asay and McQuinn were driving away, Asay alleged that McDowell had cheated him out of ten dollars on a drug deal once, and he always swore that he would get revenge.[5] Apparently, Asay also bragged to a friend that when negotiating the deal for oral sex, Asay planned to abduct, sexually assault, and then kill McDowell. When McDowell refused to get into the truck, Asay simply killed him in the street.
Legal proceedings[edit]
Asay was arrested for the murders on August 1, 1987, and was indicted on two capital murder charges on August 20. He was found guilty of both counts on September 29, 1988, and was sentenced to death on November 18, 1988. Asay was confirmed to have multiple white supremacist tattoos all over his body,[6] and was notorious for his racist comments regarding his victims (he had been under the impression that McDowell, a white man, was actually a black woman).
On July 3, 2017, Florida governor Rick Scott signed Asay's execution warrant, setting Asay's execution[7] for August 24, 2017, at the state prison near Starke, Florida. He was the first offender executed in the state of Florida since the January 2016 execution of Oscar Bolin (January 22, 1962 - January 7, 2016). This also meant that Asay was the first inmate executed since the conclusion of Hurst v. Florida. In the Hurst v. Florida case the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Florida's death-penalty sentencing doctrines as unconstitutional as it gave judges, instead of juries, the final say on whether a convict would receive a death penalty. Asay previously had an execution date of March 17, 2016, however this was stayed due to the Hurst decision.[8]
Death[edit]
The execution was carried out on Thursday, August 24, 2017 at the state prison near Starke, Florida. He was pronounced dead at 6:22 PM local time.[9] For his last meal, Asay had fried pork chops, fried ham, french fries, vanilla swirl ice cream and Coca-Cola, authorities said. He did not make a final statement.[10]
It was the first time in the state's history a white man was executed for killing a black person.[11][12] His execution was also the first in the United States to utilize a new cocktail containing etomidate, replacing midazolam, which drug companies began refusing to provide for executions.[13][14]
See also[edit]
- List of death row inmates in the United States
- List of individuals executed in Florida
- List of offenders scheduled to be executed in the United States
- List of offenders executed in the United States in 2017
- Capital punishment in Florida
References[edit]
- ↑ "Inmate Population Information Detail". archive.org. Florida Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-asay-for-the-first-time-florida-executes-white-man-in-black-mans-killing/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mettler, Katie (24 August 2017). "A death penalty landmark for Florida: Executing a white man for killing a black man". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ "Asay, Mark (FL)". The Dark Side of America. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
- ↑ "Supreme Court of Florida | Asay vs. Florida" (PDF). deathpenaltyinfo.org. 22 December 2016. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ Wilikinson, James (25 August 2017). "Florida murderer says he's ready for his execution - but denies racism". Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ "Upcoming Executions | Death Penalty Information Center". deathpenaltyinfo.org. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
- ↑ Kam, Dara (23 August 2017). "Florida to resume executions with first use of triple-drug injection". palmbeachpost.com. COX MEDIA GROUP. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/data/crime/jacksonville-man-set-to-be-executed-today/466894059
- ↑ "White supremacist becomes first white man in Florida to be executed for killing black man". The Telegraph. Agence France-Presse. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ "For the first time, Florida executes white man in black man's killing". cbsnews.com. STARKE, Fla.: CBS Interactive Inc. CBS/AP. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ Moye, David (24 August 2017). "Florida Executes White Man For Killing Black Victim For First Time Ever". Huffington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ "Florida inmate Mark Asay executed by experimental injection". BBC News. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ↑ Lathrop, Daniel; Flagg, Anna (14 August 2017). "Killings of Blacks by Whites Are Far More Likely to Be Ruled 'Justifiable'". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
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