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August 12, 2019Gary Ray Bowles is scheduled to be executed on August 22 at Florida State Prison in Starke. Bowles, who was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of Walter Hinton in Duval County, is also serving life sentences for the murders of John Roberts in Volusia County and Albert Morris in Nassau County.
In the coming days, subscribers of the Florida Catholic Advocacy Network (FLCAN) will be provided an opportunity through an action alert to implore the governor to stop the execution and choose life over death. Taking a life to punish and teach that killing is wrong perpetuates violence and is unnecessary. Society can be kept safe from the aggressor's violent acts with the severe sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.On July 25, the U.S. Justice Department announced the federal government will resume capital punishment for the first time in more than 15 years. The executions of five inmates on death row have been scheduled for December through January. Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued a statement in response to the decision to once again turn, after many years, to the death penalty as a form of punishment. Citing long held and strongly maintained positions of the Church opposing the use of capital punishment, Bishop Dewane urged "that Federal officials take this teaching into consideration, as well as the evidence showing [the death penalty's] unfair and biased application, and abandon the announced plans to implement the death penalty once more."
