Militant convicted of Pearl killing to rely on KSM Guantanamo confession on appeal News
Militant convicted of Pearl killing to rely on KSM Guantanamo confession on appeal

[JURIST] British-born Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh [Wikipedia profile], who was sentenced to death [JURIST report] in July 2002 for kidnapping and murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl [DPF profile; JURIST news archive], will use a Guantanamo Bay detainee's confession to support his appeal, his lawyer said Monday. Omar's lawyer said he plans to substantiate his client's appeal by introducing the military status hearing transcript [text, PDF] released last week in which Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [BBC profile] confessed [JURIST report] that he personally "decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl" during a hearing at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive]. The claim is so far unsubstantiated.

Three of Omar's co-conspirators were also sentenced to life in prison in Pakistan in connection with Pearl's kidnapping and murder in 2002. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

First US execution by gas

On February 8, 1924, Gee Jon, a Chinese man convicted of murder, was executed by gas in Nevada and became the first person in the United States to be put to death in that manner.

The Nevada state legislature had eliminated hanging and shooting as a method of execution in 1921, and had provided for execution by lethal gas instead. Nevada sent 32 convicts to the gas chamber between 1924 and 1979. Learn more about the history of executions by gas in Nevada.

Mary, Queen of Scots executed

On February 8, 1587, Mary I of Scotland was executed for involvement in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England. Before execution, Mary denied three times assisting the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, and crown Mary as ruler of Great Britain. Mary's guilt or innocence is debated to this day. Learn more about the Babington Plot.