FULL INTERVIEW: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on death penalty
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Caroline Molloy
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Watch the full interview here: Former Governor Asa Hutchinson reflects on Bruce Earl Ward’s passing, the inmate whose execution date he set eight years ago.
In 1990, Ward murdered 18-year-old Rebecca Doss and was sentenced to death. He died of natural causes on April 1 at the Varner SuperMax prison in Pine Bluff.
“That’s the hardest thing for a governor to carry out, which is an execution of a human being,” Hutchinson said.
Ward’s execution was delayed due to concerns over his mental competency, and he was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hutchinson said changes are necessary to create a more effective system, and he is confident that the current state administration will implement them.
“If the system never gets corrected, then people will lose confidence in the death penalty,” Hutchinson said.
