U.S. Supreme Court denies Calambro plea

CARSON CITY -- The U.S. Supreme Court and Gov. Kenny Guinn both denied petitions Friday to delay the execution of killer Alvaro Calambro, who wants to go forward with his date with death Monday night.

The high court, with Justice John Paul Stevens dissenting, denied an appeal by Calambro's mother, Lydia, to review the case. Hours before that, Guinn turned down a plea by government officials from the Philippines to spare the life of Calambro, who was born in that country.

Assistant U.S. Public Defender Michael Pescetta, who led the court effort to stay the execution, said, "It looks like we're done."

Guinn met with representatives of the Philippines for about 25 minutes. After the session, Guinn said he has not seen any compelling evidence to merit a reprieve.

"I appreciate the Philippine delegation's effort to express to me in person their concerns about the pending execution of Alvaro Calambro," Guinn said. "This is the most solemn duty I can face as governor and I have an obligation to respect our state's criminal justice process."

Guinn has the authority to delay the execution but only the state Pardons Board, of which he is chairman, has the power to reduce the sentence.

Benjamin Domingo, an under secretary for the foreign office of the Philippines, said the delegation would make another effort to meet with Calambro, who has refused visits. Domingo told reporters he wanted a face-to-face meeting with Calambro.

"I cannot go home to Manila without that meeting," Domingo said.

Calambro, 25, rejected efforts by the delegation Thursday for a meeting at the state prison. And the condemned man has declined to meet with his mother.

Still pending is an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by Calambro's mother, Lydia. That was filed Wednesday and the state attorney general's office filed its reply Thursday opposing any delay in the execution date.

The Philippine delegation also plans to meet with Lydia and her two other children in another effort to spare Alvaro Calambro's life.

Calambro is now at the state prison in Carson City, where he is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at 9 p.m. Monday. For his last meal, he has requested steak, rice, corn, apple pie and Sprite. A prison spokesman said his health is fine and that he has a phone available to make calls if he chooses. He is in a single cell within the block holding the general inmate population.

He was convicted of the Jan. 4, 1994, murder of Peggy Crawford and Keith Christopher at a U-Haul store in Reno. They were tied and gagged. Christopher's head had been crushed by a ballpeen hammer. Crawford's skull had been impaled with a crowbar-tire iron. There was $2,400 missing from the store.

Calambro and his partner, Duc Cong Hunyh, went on a crime spree that included robberies, a kidnapping, high speed chases and a standoff in the Hall of Records in Los Angeles in which a female security guard was taken hostage. She was released and the two men surrendered. Hunyh, after being convicted, hanged himself in the state prison in Ely.

Guinn did intervene to allow George Christopher, the brother of one of the victims, to bring a friend with him to witness the execution. The prison initially allowed three spaces for the family of the victims to witness the execution.

George Christopher of Yerington said his parents have decided not to attend. And George wants to be accompanied by a Lyon County deputy sheriff as support.

Also attending the execution will be Clarence and Betty Crawford, whose daughter was killed. "We've been through all the hearings and we want to finish it off," Clarence Crawford said today.

Referring to the hanging of Hunyh, Crawford said, "I think it would have been better if they both had committed suicide and saved the taxpayers money."

He complained about the numerous attempts by the federal public defender's office to save Calambro. "Every time there is a delay, it's just like they are killing her (his daughter) over again."

The execution, he said, will be the first step in allowing him and his wife to "get on with their lives."

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