TL/DR –
David Hosier was executed in Missouri, marking the state’s second execution this year, after his clemency request was denied by Gov. Mike Parson. Hosier was convicted in 2013 for the double murder of Angela Gilpin and Rodney Gilpin in 2009, which prosecutors alleged was due to a jealous rage over a ended affair with Angela Gilpin. Hosier, who maintained his innocence, has unsuccessfully appealed his death sentence several times suggesting no physical evidence linked him to the murders and his defense attorneys most recently filed a clemency petition citing his health issues and a past stroke that left him with lasting brain damage.
Missouri Executes Inmate Despite Clemency Appeal
On Tuesday, David Hosier, a Missouri inmate, was executed, marking the state’s second execution this year. Despite multiple appeals and a recent clemency petition, Governor Mike Parson denied the plea, triggering an outcry from lawmakers advocating for Hosier’s life.
Hosier, aged 69, consistently proclaimed his innocence concerning the double murder charges that resulted in his death sentence. His execution followed a series of unsuccessful appeals, including a denial from the Missouri Supreme Court five years ago.
In 2013, Hosier landed on Missouri’s death row after being found guilty of the 2009 murder of married couple Angela and Rodney Gilpin. This crime allegedly stemmed from a jealous rage after Angela Gilpin ended an affair with Hosier.
The governor, who has overseen 10 executions thus far, labeled Hosier’s actions as senseless violence for which he expressed no remorse. Parson announced his denial of Hosier’s clemency petition on Monday, hoping the sentence execution would bring closure for the victims’ family.
Following the murder, Angela Gilpin’s purse was found with a protective order application against Hosier and a statement expressing her fear of being shot by him. Parson’s office highlighted Hosier’s history of violence against women and suggested that he persistently harassed Angela after their relationship ended, before eventually murdering her and her husband.
Hosier’s defense argued that no direct evidence linked him to the Gilpins’ murder. The appeal cited the absence of a confession, eyewitnesses, fingerprints, or Hosier’s DNA at the crime scene. The defense also argued against the admissibility of Hosier’s previous assault conviction in the Gilpin trial, asserting it unfairly prejudiced the jury.
Hosier’s petition for clemency highlighted his personal struggles, including a stroke in 2007 that allegedly resulted in lasting brain damage, and challenges related to his father’s murder in 1971. Two Missouri U.S. Representatives, Cori Bush and Emmanuel Cleaver, supported Hosier’s clemency appeal in a letter to the governor, citing Hosier’s medical issues and mental illness.
According to The Associated Press, Hosier expressed dissatisfaction with his defense team’s focus on his personal life rather than the lack of forensic evidence in the clemency petition. He asserted that his traumatic past was irrelevant to his current circumstances and expressed frustration with the ‘woe is me’ narrative.
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