Mike - this news is very troubling, if it is indeed true.
If this still occurs today, with all the advances in forensics and police detective work, that would actually give me cause to reconsider my strong views on the death penalty.
I still maintain that anyone who truly kills in the first degree, deserves to be executed.
I have no problem with life in prison, with NO, repeat NO, chance of parole, for convicted murderers. Obviously, if a mistake was made and an innocent man wrongly convicted, the govt can release him and can make restitution to him. But what bothers me just as much is murderers who escape, are released and kill again, or kill other prisoners or prison guards while in prison - this occurs FAR more often than executing someone who is not guilty.