CEDAR CITY, Utah – After spending 25 years on death row for the 1998 murder and sexual assault of his girlfriend’s mother, Taberone Honie has been slated for execution by lethal injection on August 8.
Honie, convicted for the heinous crimes against Claudia Benn, showed no remorse when the judge announced the execution order. The courtroom fell silent as he silently glanced at his family members while being escorted out.
The daughter of the victim, Benita Yracheta, expressed relief as she awaited justice after a quarter-century of waiting. Judge Jeffrey C. Wilcox signed Honie’s execution warrant following a three-hour hearing at the Fifth Judicial District court.
State prosecutor Daniel Boyer affirmed the judge’s decision, deeming it as the correct course of action in this long-pending case. However, Honie’s attorney, Eric Zuckerman, sought more time to investigate the new protocol for administering the lethal drug cocktail that will end his life.
Zuckerman argued that Honie should have the right to make an informed decision regarding the new drug cocktail’s effects, requesting a three-month extension to delve into the matter further. The state’s stance was clear – urging the removal of the execution stay and the signing of the execution order, emphasizing that Honie had exhausted all legal avenues for appeal.
Despite the signed execution warrant, Boyer anticipated challenges to the judge’s decision, suggesting the possibility of appeals or reviews to halt the execution. Zuckerman, firm in his belief in challenging the ruling, vowed to file an appeal against the decision.
As the date draws near, the legal battle surrounding Taberone Honie’s fate continues, raising questions about the use of untested protocols and the ethics of carrying out executions.