Biblical and Contemporary Views on Capital Punishment
The Rev. Nelson M. Chamberlin
Copyright © 2012 Nelson Chamberlin
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2012-12-06
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
This book could not have been written without the patience and encouragement of my wife — La Donna M. Chamberlin. Her suggestions and advice were valid and gratefully accepted in making this the book what it is.
I owe a debt of gratitude also to —
Lori Fisher of the Indianapolis International Business College who introduced me to the publishing industry and helped design the cover of my hard book.
Audi Cathcart who previewed, edited and contributed to the finished copy of this book.
Monte Chamberlin whose understanding that Dad was not to be bothered when writing at his desk prompted him to ask later, “Oh no! Dad is not writing another book, is he?”
Dr. Ralph Earle
Dr. Milford Henkel Numerous Unnamed Friends and Colleagues who reviewed this material, raised questions, and finally gave approval to this work.
Introduction
“The Butcher Shop”
Some may wonder why a clergyman - a man of the cloth whose ministry has been based upon forgiveness, redemption, and the possibility of a new life - would be so concerned about the Biblical and Contemporary Views on Capital Punishment.
It all began on a hot day (August 16, 1960) in Boonville, Indiana when a local physician, Dr. Robert Terry reported his eleven year old daughter (Avril Terry) was missing. The Terrys were close friends of ours, their youngest daughter taking piano lessons with our oldest daughter from an excellent teacher in Evansville.
There were 42 known sex offenders in the Boonville area and Emmett O. Hashfield was second on that list. He had spent the previous 26 of his 31years in prison on child sex offenses. A recent parolee who had served time for sodomy on a 10-year-old boy, he then lived in a two-room shack just one-half block from the local grade school.
Hashfield had actually tried to seduce young grade school girls into his home. Some of the parents of these girls discovered this plot but refused to alert the authorities because they felt it would be too embarrassing to their family to do so.
Police found at his home a blood-stained mattress turned upsidedown, bloody clothes above the tiled ceiling, signs of blood in his car, scratches on his chest where the child desperately tried to ward him off. His crotch was covered with blood.
They knew they had their man! He was quickly transported to the Warrick County jail on suspicion of murder. When the townspeople got the horrible news they stormed the jail intent on imposing their justice then and there. However the Indiana State Police slipped him out the back door of the jail and took him to their headquarters in Evansville.
He was uncooperative in their continued questioning of him, so they allowed Dr. Terry into the room to question him. The Doctor begged him to tell where Avril Terry was with the hope that there might be some sort of rescue, but Hashfield replied that he had no idea where she could be found, that he had nothing to do with her disappearance, and that they had the wrong man.
For a fleeting moment Dr. Terry wondered if he could really be telling the truth. It was almost a “My God! We’ve got the wrong man” moment! Emmett Hashfield was such a meek appearing person. But then the Doctor remembered the evidence the police had found. He reared back in anger and hit Hashfield in the face with his fist.
That of course brought screaming from Emmett Hashfield and The State Police rushed into the room to rescue him from Dr. Terry. However there was a swarm of photographers and newsmen at the scene and the flash bulbs started popping. They got great shots of his swelling face and eye.
Trouble … REAL TROUBLE! They knew that the appointed lawyers would claim Police brutality against the accused.
Hashfield was securely returned to the Boonville (Warrick County) Jail and was given a hearing by the Sheriff. First Hashfield was offered a lawyer to represent him, but he refused, volunteering this information: “My last lawyer told me I talk too much, so I don’t want one.”
Next he was introduced to three observers — a local newspaper reporter, the local Catholic Priest, and myself (the local United Methodist Pastor). He was offered our services and confidentiality, but he refused both of us clergy persons.
Next the Sheriff asked him if he had any complaints about how he was being treated. He said no … the police had given him everything he asked for or needed and he had no complaints at all.
Then the Sheriff came to the real point of this interview. He asked Hashfield to relate the events the day of Avril Terry’s disappearance. Hashfield informed us that he enticed the girl into his car and drove out to the north side of town to a stripper pit where he intended to rape her. Then he thought better of it and returned to the town square where he let her out of his car. Then he enticed her back into his car with the promise that he had some carved wooden animals at his house that would make a nice birthday gift for her sister.
He told us that he took her to his home. At that point Hashfield said that he did not want to tell everything that happened there. Then he continued with his story telling us that he put her body in a blanket and took her down to the Ohio River and dumped her there.
The Police Brutality Trial
We knew that police brutality was going to be a part of the defense Hashfield’s attorney would inject in the trial. And sure enough … Ferdinand Samper, an Indianapolis lawyer appointed to represent him, quickly called for a pre-trial hearing to investigate the alleged police brutality. It was held in the Warrick County Circuit Court in Boonville.
Several State Police as well as myself were summoned to testify in this regard before a local judge. We were not separated from each other in the Court Room. Ferdinand Samper was a very skilled and efficient practioner of the law. One thing I noticed as he questioned the State Police was that he would ask them a question, then repeat their answer with “Do you mean to tell me?” and he would twist just slightly what they had said. By the time he finished with them some were really confused.
I was called upon to tell the story of Hashfield’s preliminary hearing in the Sheriff’s office. I repeated his testimony as best I could. I was determined that Ferdinand Samper would not be successful
