True Crime Stories

This case is one of those in which I fear I will have difficultly putting together because of my conflicting feelings. You have heard me say many times that I am not necessarily for, or against the death penalty and that I do find it appropriate when there is no question that the person convicted committed the crime. You have also heard me often say that for me guilt or innocence for me is less important in a trial than following the law. I am not saying that all of these things apply in this case but I do admit that I am conflicted on some things. The crime that Scott Hain and his accomplice, Robert Lambert, were convicted of is especially gruesome. It involved the murders of two people, twenty-seven year old Michael Houghton and his twenty-two year old co-worker, Laura Lee Sanders. I am going to tell the story of what happened as relayed through court records and then I will go into a deeper discussion. According to the courts on the night of October 6, 1987 Houghton and San...

At first glance I am sure that this case seems rather unremarkable.  It was solved before anyone even knew there was a crime. And, on top of that the case was completely open and shut, ending with the execution of the murderer within three and a half years.  No, this was not a case from the 1950's or before when cases were settled in record time and executions were carried out within a few months at most.  This case began in 1997 and ended in 2001.  And yet, some how, deep down I have a small problem with it... imagine that. On October 15, 1997 Ronald Fluke walked into a Tulsa Oklahoma police department to report a triple murder.  Well he was not just reporting the crime, he was also confessing to it.  Ronald would inform police officers that if they were to go to his home they would find the bodies of his wife, Ginger, and their two teenage daughters, Susanne, 13 and Kathryn, 11.  One thing you have to say about Ronald, it seems like everything he...