David Kevin Hocker AL RIP

[softheart]

Hocker had no Supreme Court review before execution
09/30/2004

Associated Press

ATMORE, Ala. - David Kevin Hocker died by lethal
injection last night for the 1998 stabbing death of
his boss. The 33-year-old Hocker refused to file
appeals of his conviction -- saying he was guilty and
wanted to die for his crime.

Hocker was convicted and sentenced to death for the
March 1998 stabbing death and robbery of 47-year-old
Jerry Wayne Robinson of Columbia in Houston County.

Hocker was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m..

Bryan Stevenson, director of the Montgomery-based
Equal Justice Initiative, says Hocker's execution was
the first time someone has been put to death by the
state without the Alabama Supreme Court reviewing the
case.

He also says it's only the second time Alabama has
executed someone without post-conviction court reviews
to determine such things as whether the defendant was
competent and had adequate legal representation, and
whether prosecutors followed the law.

[Eric's Homegirl]

May he rest in peace now.. and his family finds peace and courage to except
what he desired. Suzi

[Kyla]

May David Hockner rest in peace.

[kezcat]

Prayers for David Hockner and his family.
May he rest in peace.

[FoundLove]

May he rest in peace...

[Phil in Paris]

May you rest in peace Mr Hocker.

Phil

[Keltria]

He and his family are in my thoughts. Rest in peace Sir.

[softheart]

October 01, 2004

Alabama

Mentally ill man executed for 1998 killing

CARLA CROWDER, Birmingham News

ATMORE - David Kevin Hocker, a mentally ill 33-year-old who refused to
fight his 1998 capital murder conviction, was executed Thursday in
Alabama's death chamber.

His final words were a prayer. "I swear by you, Lord Jesus Christ, my
savior, that my time shall be no longer. The mystery of life shall be
finished. Amen," Hocker read into a microphone just before the lethal
injection began.

His mother, Patricia Yeomans, sobbed as he closed his eyes for the last
time, then doubled over in her chair. She grew shaky and had to leave the
witness room for a restroom, where her husband consoled her.

Her son was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m.

Yeomans returned to the room and asked reporters: "You don't think he felt
anything, do you? It seemed like he didn't."

Hocker was sentenced to death for the March 1998 murder of his boss, Jerry
Robinson, 47. Hocker lured Robinson into a rural area outside Dothan, then
stabbed him to death, stole his truck and binged on crack cocaine before
turning himself in to south Alabama authorities.

No one from Robinson's family attended the execution

Hocker's death marks the first time someone has been executed by the state
without the Alabama Supreme Court reviewing the case, said Bryan
Stevenson, director of the Equal Justice Initiative, which represents poor
people on Death Row. It's just the second time Alabama has executed
someone without post-conviction court reviews to determine such things as
whether the defendant was competent and had adequate legal representation,
and whether prosecutors followed the law, Stevenson said.

But Hocker resisted attorneys' efforts to save his life. His mother and
sister say he has been suicidal for years, which, combined with a
religious fervor adopted on Death Row, led to his refusal to appeal his
case.

Hocker had a lengthy criminal record before he killed Robinson, much of it
for drug use and stealing things from his mother. Over the years, she
turned him in to police seeking help for his mental illness - bipolar
disorder - but Hocker denied he was sick.

`He's fine' now:

Yeomans visited with her son three days this week, including Thursday
morning.

"God didn't answer my prayers the way I had wanted. But he did answer
them," she said in a written statement. "Once Kevin started reading the
Bible, his anger just disappeared. He became positive about his life. It
now had meaning. And he often would say to me, `I had to lose my life to
save my soul.' He's fine."

Prison officials described Hocker as antsy but upbeat the day of his
death. He asked a lot of questions about the execution procedure and
talked about his religious beliefs.

Hocker had no breakfast or lunch Thursday. He requested a last meal of
frankfurters, French fries, American cheese and chocolate cake, but he did
not eat it, prison spokesman Brian Corbett said.

Yeomans will claim his body. Her son left her some of his belongings: food
items and a check for 87 cents - what was left of his prisoner account. He
left his radio and headset to fellow Death Row prisoner Rayford Hagood.

Hocker's conviction received the mandatory review by the Alabama Court of
Criminal Appeals, but he waived the remainder of his constitutionally
guaranteed appeals. His decision saved the state money and sped his death
by several years.

"I don't want to make him out to be a hero, he's not. ... The best way I
can describe him is he's a man, he stood up and he's going to take his
punishment," said Henry County District Attorney Doug Valeska.

Set limits for his trial:

A review of the trial transcript troubled Stevenson, of the Equal Justice
Initiative. The trial, which Stevenson called "outrageous," lasted one
day, and defense lawyer Michael Crespi called no witnesses on Hocker's
behalf.

Crespi, who has known the family since Hocker was a teenager, said Hocker
did not want anything about his background presented because he wished to
spare his family pain and embarrassment.

"I didn't have any mitigating witnesses," Crespi said. "He forbade it."

Crespi said he tried to find a way to get around Hocker's wishes, even
consulting with outside experts. Everyone told him he had to abide by his
client's request.

That meant jurors never heard about the history of mental illness and
domestic abuse in Hocker's childhood. Hocker's father also was bipolar and
killed himself when Hocker was 8.

"I have never seen or heard of such a thoroughgoing regime of terror as
existed in that household," said Crespi, who has 30 years' experience as a
lawyer and judge.

Stevenson visited with Hocker on Death Row and said Hocker's mental illness
was apparent. "Since Mr. Hocker has been on Death Row, he has demonstrated
blatantly that he is seriously mentally ill, most significantly mutilating
himself and removing his testicles," Stevenson said.

"Even if Mr. Hocker asserts that he wants to be executed, ... Alabama can
take no pride in executing someone who is too unstable or too poor to
protect themselves."

[MrsWest11]

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

May you rest in peace, Mr. Hocker.

Selena

[swtmel]

He is in God's hands now, Amen