Governor rejects plea from bishop

Religion and murder. Public policy and powerful emotions. On this Good Friday, as it was nearly 2,000 ago, death and Christianity have collided -- if in very different ways.

As convicted murderer Alvaro Calambro awaited his Monday execution in Carson City for the deaths of two people -- people whose skulls he destroyed with a tire iron and ball-peen hammer -- the Las Vegas Catholic bishop made a plea to save Calambro's life that was rejected by Gov. Kenny Guinn this morning.

Bishop Daniel Walsh had sent a letter to Guinn asking that Calambro's death sentence be commuted because the death penalty is "unnecessary and cruel."

Walsh was acting in accordance with a statement released early today by the U.S. Catholic Conference in Washington, D.C., urging Catholics to oppose the death penalty.

In doing so on Good Friday, the U.S. Bishops' Administrative Board -- some 55 bishops -- drew comparisons between Jesus Christ's crucifixion and the execution of convicted criminals nationwide.

"(On this) day when we recall our Savior's own execution, we appeal to all people of goodwill and especially Catholics to work to end the death penalty," the statement said. Calambro was convicted of murder for the 1994 deaths of Peggy Crawford, 37, and Keith Christopher, 21, during a robbery at a Reno U-Haul business. He and accomplice Duc Cong Hunyh killed Crawford by impaling her skull with a tire iron, and Christopher by crushing his head with a ball-peen hammer. The perpetrators left the scene with $2,400.

Hunyh later hanged himself in his jail cell.

A last-ditch effort to save Calambro was made March 29 when Assistant U.S. Public Defender Michael Pescetta submitted an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. No action has yet been taken by the high court. "I'm all for ending the death penalty," said Walsh. "It's odd to me that we try to solve violence by inflicting violence."

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have for 25 years held an anti-death penalty position. During his recent visit to the states, Pope John Paul II encouraged Catholic leaders to build a consensus opposing the death penalty.

"But there are a lot of Catholics who don't agree," Walsh said. "Many in our community don't agree."

In his letter to Guinn, Walsh said, "I am asking you to lead a dialogue in our society to help bring about a new way of stopping violence ... The beginning of this dialogue could be your clemency and commutation of the death sentence of Alvaro Calambro."

In recent years, some of Nevada's political leaders have been both Catholic and supportive of the death penalty. Catholic Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, has sponsored pro-death-penalty legislation.

Former Gov. Bob Miller, a Catholic, also supported the death penalty.

"We are not united on this yet," said Walsh.

Historically, most Protestant church leaders also have argued for the abolition of the death penalty. Still, many American Christian laypeople support the death penalty.

The Bible and the Ten Commandments have been differently interpreted to both support and reject the death penalty. Some argue that the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," clearly forbids the death penalty, while others say that certain Biblical passages illustrate righteousness in executing those who have murdered the innocent.

In Islam, there is more theological room for the death penalty, in accordance with the Koran's philosophy of justice that encourages a punishment that matches the crime.

Nevada's last execution was Oct. 5. Eighty-four men and one woman are currently on death row in Nevada.

Nationwide, more than 500 executions have taken place since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, and some 3,500 prisoners await their deaths, according to the U.S. Catholic Conference.

Walsh concluded his letter to the governor by saying, "I sympathize and support the families of all victims of violent crime. I share their anguish and hope that they can overcome the tragedy of the loss of loved ones through violence and find some sense of peace.

"The antidote to violence is love, not more violence."

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