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Ragsdale pleads guilty to murder

I could say that we should execute him but I'm a Mormon and therefore do not believe in the Death Penalty.

Are you serious? The one person he is suppose to protect and love he guns down in cold blood and we give him 20 years with the possibility of parole? What about the children, seeing their mother gunned down by their father. What have we come to as a society when we won�t protect our women and children and will not put people like this to death?

Should have gone for no death penalty, but life with no possibility of parole. At least the family won't suffer through a trial.

I do not understand this sentence. If prosecutors are 'gracious' enough to take away the death penalty- the only other option should be LIFE in prison WITHOUT the possibility of parole. If scumbags choose to kill their wives or loved ones- they need to give up their life as they know it permanently. 20 years does not cut it in this case or any like it.

This guy saying he is remorseful reminds me of my four-year-old niece: sometimes when she does something bad or mean she KNOWS she isn't supposed to do, she'll look at you right after and say "sorry I did that." It's infuriating because you know she's just sorry she got caught. Same thing here. I can't understand why he isn't going to spend the rest of his life in prison.

We shouldn't be bargaining here. This is the most serious offense there is. Why is murder considered less serious if it is done to the one you are supposed to love and protect?

but claiming membership in the LDS Church eliminates condoning the death penalty is mistaken. The Church does not have an official position against the death penalty.

BZZZZZZZT. Sorry, next contestant.

He got away with this because this is Utah. I moved here from Texas, where he MIGHT have been offered a plea deal. If so, you can bet it would have included LIFE. Utah has very wimpy murder sentences. You can get a stronger sentence here for robbing a bank than killing someone.

And I thought LDS people were nice.

Ema,

You are a sick individual. Comparing your 4 year old niece to a murderer. I'm glad you aren't my sister and if I were your brother and you said such an evil thing about my daughter I would disown you and make sure you never get within 100 foot of anyone I love or care about.

Whoever came up with this "deal" is an idiot. It should be life without parole. What he did was vicious and with intention. Come on prosecutors, step up and actually prosecute people for their crimes. Plea bargains have gone too far in this state.

Ragsdale's only sorry he got caught. But hopefully Ema will go easy on her niece.

To clarify: This guy now "faces" a sentence of 20-to-life. He hasn't actually been sentenced, yet. Death is off the table, but the judge could still order life without parole, if I understand the plea correctly. The reporting could certainly have been clearer.

I guess in Utah the man is in charge of the wife and oh well if he shoots his wife in cold blood that does not warrant the death penalty. What a medival system!

Anyone, Mormon or not, who believes it is just or moral to sacrifice the life of one innocent person who is wrongfully convicted to punish the guilty is evil. We cannot and should not trade the wrongful execution of a few for the proper execution of many. It may well be true that the guilty are deserving of death, that they have committed a crime so heinous that death would meet the demands of justice but there is no justice for the person who is wrongfully executed. The individuals, their neighbors and members of their community who wrongfully prosecuted, convicted and sentenced them will never receive punishment for being a part of taking an innocent life.

The only way that the death penalty can be moral is if the state is responsible for every wrong action. If a witnessed bears false witness they are sentenced to the same punishment as the innocent, if the jury wrongfully convicts a person and they are sentenced to death then their murderers should die for their vote which killed an innocent person.

We cannot argue that it is just or moral to kill an innocent person while condemning the guilty to death.

Too many prosecutors are reluctant to do all the work necessary to prepare for a capital murder trial. To avoid the work, they are willing to allow a defendant to plead in a way that will avoid such a trial -- and the work necessary to prepare for it. It appears that's what's happened in this case. Ragsdale and his attorney, I'm sure, are grateful for such prosecutors.

If this guy ever walks the face of the earth again as a free man it will be a travesty of justice.

I feel sick.

a case where no one wins. How sad.

I'm LDS and i strongly support the death penalty. How else can someone even begin to pay for what they've done? Sit in Prison for life? Sorry, not even close. Gunned down in cold blood in front of children and we give him as little as 20 years. Unbelievable.