Utah officials have denied clemency to Taberon Dave Honie, who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on August 8 for the stabbing death of his girlfriend’s mother in 1998. The decision was announced by Scott Stephenson, chair of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, who stated that there was not sufficient cause to commute Honie’s death sentence. During a commutation hearing, Honie had requested his sentence be commuted to life in prison, expressing remorse for his actions and a desire to be a support for his family.
Honie broke into the victim’s house in Cedar City, Utah, and then repeatedly slashed and stabbed her to death, while her grandchildren, including Honie’s young daughter, were present. He was convicted of aggravated murder in 1999, with one of the aggravating factors being that he had sexually abused one of the children. Honie’s defense presented testimony during the hearing describing his traumatic childhood on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona, attributing his actions to the neglect and substance abuse he experienced growing up.
The family of the victim, Claudia Benn, urged the parole board to allow Honie to be executed, describing Benn as a pillar in their family and community. They expressed devastation over their loss and believed that Honie should face the consequences for his actions. Despite arguments from Honie’s attorneys about his troubled upbringing and substance abuse issues, the state emphasized the trauma he caused by killing Benn and the impact it has had on the victim’s family and the community.
Utah has not had an execution since 2010, when Ronnie Lee Gardner was put to death by firing squad. Honie is one of six people currently awaiting execution in the state, with the death sentence for a seventh person being overturned by the Utah Supreme Court. Despite defense objections to the planned combination of drugs for the lethal injection, Honie’s execution warrant was signed in June. His lawyers are working to protect his constitutional rights and ensure that the state’s execution plan using pentobarbital is carried out according to protocol while the case is still pending.
The denial of clemency for Taberon Dave Honie has brought closure to the victim’s family and community, who have been waiting for justice for over two decades. The decision to proceed with the execution highlights the consequences of violent crimes and the impact they have on families and communities. Despite arguments about Honie’s troubled past and the trauma he suffered growing up, the parole board ultimately sided with the state’s assertion that the killing of Claudia Benn warranted the death penalty. The ongoing legal proceedings regarding the execution method underscore the complexities of carrying out capital punishment and ensuring that all constitutional rights are protected.
