Warning:   there are small, low resolution pictures of a man shot to death in this thread. It is not safe for work.  He was killed with four rounds of 30-30 fired simultaneously if one of the witnesses is to be believed

I saw these pictures elsewhere, and I thought some of you might be interested to see them, as they demonstrate the results of a common hunting caliber on a human being. Additionally, they're just interesting; it's not everyday that an executee's family publicly shares post-mortem pics of their loved one.

Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed in 2010 by Utah by firing squad for the death of a bartender, and the death of a lawyer who was killed while Gardiner was in court for the aforementioned matter.  Here's a pic of him after being captured.



It would appear from news stories on the internet, that Gardiner chose the firing squad method because it would be a pain in the rear end for the government; he wanted to create a spectacle.

Here is the setup of the chair that he was executed in. If you look towards the center, you'll see the indentations.



Here is the setup of Utah's execution chamber with both the lethal injection Gurney, and the firing squad chair present.   Observers watch through both sides.   In the event of a firing squad execution, the firing squad shoots through the slit in the back of the room.  



The firing squad is composed of five people  armed with Winchester 64s in the venerable fuddy-fuddy cartridge.  The rifles are pre-loaded, and one of them is loaded with a wax bullet.  A target was placed over his heart.

Here's a general description of his execution, if you care to read it:

https://www.bbc.com/news/10254279

In 2016, the Utah house debated a bill that would abolish capital punishment. Ronnie's brother Randy interrupted the proceedings, holding up post mortem pictures of his brother. Additionally, some of Ronnie's younger relatives held up a banner in a hallway featuring post mortem shots of Ronnie.  Randy was eventually ejected from the chamber.
Some of those shots look like they went through that man like oversized drill bits.







Gardner's selection of the firing squad method caused a great deal of consternation for the government of Utah.   However, in the years following, Utah has gone ahead and designated the method a backup in light of shortages of the drugs normally used in executions.

If you want to find out more about Ronnie Lee Gardner's execution, you can find out more at your local library.

Have a good night, everyone.

A scumbag was executed. The manner is irrelevant. Good riddance.

Good shoot.

One of the guys I worked with was a retired Utah Highway Patrol State Trooper (Captain).  He remembers when the state released those Winchesters (and the ones used to execute Gary Gilmore) for auction.

FPNI

Pictures make no sense. They shot him in the back?

So what rifle do they use now? Also wonder how the shooters are selected?

This

Never mind the poor innocent victims he killed.  Disregard their rights to pursue happiness and live life.  

Scumbags

The deceased could have avoided his predicament simply by not being a murder.  

Don't want to be executed?  Don't be a murder.

No you can't be on the next squad, don't even think about it

Attached File

It sure looks that way, doesn't it? Those odd looking shots are the reason I spent so much time reading about this execution.  I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable about gunshot wounds could chime in here.

Dang it!

I am guessing those are back exit wounds.

I don’t support the death penalty due to our fallible legal system legal system and the overall cost and burden on tax payers. This is a great example.

YMMV.

So that asshole killed two people by shooting them, and his family is there boohooing because his shot-up body looks bad.  Wonder how the bodies of his two victims and the one survivor looked.  Just give me a fucking break.  He got exactly what he deserved.  Hope it hurt.

Would buy if I could.

Interesting thread, op.

Thanks for posting.

The bullet holes look different in some of the pictures, like not in the same places.     Am I just seeing that wrong?

From the link posted by the op...

Interesting.


Very interesting.

Yeah, the pics of his belly look more like exit wounds than entry.

Good for you, I totally support the death penalty for a scumbag like this one was.

Same here...  Those cannot be actual, original photos.  

1. Those are not entry wounds - which would be closer to the size of a pea.  
2. They put a target over his heart.  Only one of those shots was anywhere near his heart.  I cannot believe that a group of marksmen who had practiced with the weapons - at that specific distance - had a grouping that horrendous.  

No...

I’ve shot a metric assload of animals with various calibers. A 30-30 with any kind of hunting ammo makes clean entrance wounds and larger traumatic exit wounds.

Are those actually pictures of the executed scumbag or something the family is using as propaganda?

No, I thought the same thing. Not the same wounds.

Inversely, that same argument can just as easily be applied to supporting the death penalty, ergo, our legal system is fallible and will actually release murderers after giving them a life sentence so that they can murder again.

Additionally, it could also be said that our fallible legal system allows for so many appeals on capital cases that a death penalty case ends up costing the taxpayers more money than if they housed the offender for the remainder of their life.

He was in fact shot with a 30-30. My old Chief claims to have ordered the rounds from a local reloader before he retired from the prison.

That would be quite a prize, since the Mod. 64 was a nice rifle and highly sought after.

I'm confused. If you're dead how can you commit a crime?

5 round volley inside a brick building?  Brilliant. Shirley there's a tree or railroad tie they could have tied him to outside. Let us just a tad bit of common sense here people.

It would be really interesting to know the bullet type, powder type and number of grains, etc.  Probably impossible to find out now.

Doesn't compare with the north Korean firing squad, I believe they used an anti aircraft gun on one official.

Great example of what?

Good shoot

I got the beetus, can I have a Diet Coke please?

4 and a half round volley inside a cinder block or concrete room. Definitely cruel and unusual damage to his ear drums when they shot him.

I remember Gary Glimore's execution.  The press covered that event like it was a moon landing.  Gilmore didnt deserve the attention - he was just an evil bastard that murdered some innocent people.  
Some state troopers did the job, IIRC.  

Fuck that guy and his family. He got what he deserved except he died too quickly.

@AeroE

Should have shot him in the back of the head with a subsonic .22 short.

There are photos of entrance wounds in the back and exits in the front. They probably had the chair turned the other way and turned it face-forward for the display. In one photo of the back there is a sticker on the back. Wondering whether that was the target.

Zero fucks given.

Surprised that a shot or two didn't "miss" the target by a larger degree.

I still don’t get why he has massive exit wounds in the front as if he was shot in the back.

I’ve killed plenty of deer with a Winchester.30-30 and those gaping holes are exit wounds.