In my opinion, Clifford Boggess deserved to be executed and received the justice that he deserved. The case against Clifford Boggess was extremely complex, as there were many factors that strengthened and weakened the case against him. Ultimately, there are more aggravating factors that strengthen the necessity for execution than mitigating factors that lesson the necessity for execution. Yes, I do believe that people can change and that they can recognize their actions, but I also believe that people need to pay the price for what they did and need to suffer from the consequences. In the case of Clifford Boggess, his consequences are something irreversible…death. Personally, I think that Boggess changed. I think that while in jail and on death row, Clifford Boggess was able to come to terms with himself and realize that what he had done was wrong. While this is very nice to know that he is remorseful, it does not change the fact that he brutally killed two men in a premeditated fashion. Boggess is a monster. He did not get into an argument with someone and shoot them, but he carefully planned out each murder and then gruesomely followed through on his plans. The first man that Boggess killed was an older man that he had known his entire life. Boggess was in need of money and decided to target someone weaker than him, an older man who worked at the store in town. Boggess carefully planned out what he was going to do, putting super glue on his fingers in an effort to eliminate the possibility of fingerprints being lifted from the crime scene. He then slit the man’s throat and repeatedly stabbed him in the Adam’s apple. This murder was carefully thought out and committed by a man with absolutely no soul. While this is definitely an aggravating factor that would strengthen the case against Boggess, there definitely are some facts that mitigate the case and make it seem less necessary to execute Boggess. Growing up, Boggess had a very difficult childhood. His mother was extremely abusive, whether she was abusing him physically or she was out abusing drugs. Boggess grew up with his grandparents because of his extremely tough childhood and became an all-star at his school. He was extremely academically successful, as well as being a star of the basketball and football teams. He was a multifaceted kid, being an athlete as well as a successful pianist. While these facts could strengthen the argument that Boggess didn’t deserve to be executed, they are not enough to overpower the immense amount of aggravating factors in this case.
3-4 weeks after his first murder, Boggess struck again. He walked into a gas station and shot the owner, another old man, in the back repeatedly. After being caught by the police, Boggess said that he didn’t even care that he was being arrested. He had absolutely no feelings for the people that he murdered and for the lives of the families that he terrorized, demonstrating the horrible qualities that he possessed and the awful person that he was. When on trial, Boggess threatened to kill the judge as well as his girlfriend, showing the danger that he would pose to society. This is no man that should be on our streets and he did not deserve to get a second chance at life.
Clifford Boggess brutally murdered two men and tore apart their families. Whether or not he is remorseful for his actions and knows what he did was wrong, he needs to face the consequences and face the death penalty. It is unfair for Boggess to be able to take the lives of two people but to be able to continue to live his life. He needs to pay for what he did and face execution. Boggess’ life has no societal value anymore. Society does not deserve to have such a horrible man living, and Boggess, no matter how good of an artist or how devout a Christian, does not deserve to be alive anymore. Boggess had his chance to be a good member of society, but he ruined that by murdering two people. Executing Boggess is the only option that would finally give justice to the families of the victims. Society is a better place without Clifford Boggess and this horrible, monstrous man does not even deserve to have “I.” and “P.” on his headstone. He deserves absolutely no peace in his death because of the horrible actions that he committed and the precious lives that he viciously stole.
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