Spokane Faith & Values

Politics » Law, Crime & Court

Spokane woman walks across Southern California to raise death penalty awareness

Show Caption |

T-shirt Victoria Ann Thorpe wears as she walks across California Credit: Courtesy Victoria Ann Thorpe

Today Victoria Ann Thorpe, of Spokane, began a 17 ½ day journey across Southern California — one day for each year that her sister , Kerry Lyn Dalton, has survived on California’s death row.

“My purpose for this walk is to honor Kerry’s life and bring public awareness to her wrongful conviction,” said Thorpe, author "Cages."

In “Cages” Thorpe explains that her sister was sentenced to death for torture-murder on hearsay. There was no crime scene. No evidence. No dead body.

Thorpe began her on-foot trek in Chowchilla, Calif., where her sister is living. The journey will end Nov. 1, when Thorpe will arrive at the San Diego Superior Court House steps to deliver a supplication to re-hear Kerry's case and/or drop her wrongful conviction altogether, according to Thorpe.

The journey will be part drive, part walk, with Thorpe covering over 200 miles on foot. She said she will make one stop each day to, "share the reality of this country’s failed death penalty system, as well as sharing her and Kerry’s personal story."

“The timing is perfect right now since California will be voting Nov. 6 on Prop. 34 to repeal the death penalty,” Thorpe said. “The Safe & Just Alternatives campaign in Washington State is also working toward that goal, and both campaigns are backing my walk for Kerry.”

She said if California votes to abolish the death penalty, she hopes Washington and other states will follow suit.

Though Thorpe is walking alone, she invites anyone who is interested in these issues to walk alongside her for all or part of the trip.

For updates on Thorpe's journey visit her blog.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter




You may be interested in these periodic mailings, too. Check any or all to subscribe.

 

Topics: Politics, Law, Crime & Court
Beliefs: Interfaith
Tags: abolish death penalty, cages and victoria ann thorpe, california and death penalty, death penalty, kerry lyn dalton, kerry lyn dalton wrongfully accused, victoria ann thorpe, washington and death penalty

Tracy Simmons

Tracy Simmons serves as the editor and community manager of SpokaneFAVS. She holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a master’s degree in communication. She’s reported on religion for about a decade and has written for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. Over the y...
View Contributor Profile

You must acquire rights to repost our content. Log in now for permission to download and reprint or repost this article.

Comments

Add Your Comment

The red foot is what colour?

Related Stories

Spokane author says death penalty is inhumane, should be abolished

They stand in front of River Park Square, shackled together, heads down, nameplates dangling around their necks, bearing the names of men and women killed on America’s death row. Cal Brown. Teresa Lewis. Cameron Todd Willingham. Behind them, stands Victoria Ann Thorpe. Dark makeup paints her cheeks and she waves a bloodstained-painted sign above her head, “Their blood is on our hands.”
More | Comments (3)

“I am a Human Being, Y’all !” A cry from death row

The pumping sounds repeated over and over through a reggae tune on my car stereo, “I’m a Human being y’al!” hit me hard since I had just left the visitors’ room for the death row residents in the Washington State Penitentiary. Michael Franti’s song, A Little Bit of Riddim, was washing over my ears as I drove out of Walla Walla. It was my initial visit to the small city of Walla Walla, Washington State Penitentiary, and my first time to meet the man on the other side of the glass partition.
More | Comments (1)

Hell and the death penalty

Recently, there has been some interesting discussion on the death penalty and whether or not it should be abolished. The question seems to turn on the moral nature of such a sentence.
More | Comments (24)

BRIEF: Upcoming interfaith panel to examine death penalty

An interfaith panel slated for June 5 will explore why the death penalty should be repealed in Washington. "Honoring Life: A Compassionate Discussion on the Death Penalty" will include five speakers from different faiths, who will discuss why they believe capital punishment is unacceptable for a compassionate, civilized people, according to event organizer Victoria Thorpe.
More | Comments (0)

BRIEF: Guest to speak against death penalty

Jason Baldwin served 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Today he’s an advocate for abolishing the death penalty and on July 21 will be in Spokane to tell his story.
More | Comments (0)

Sign In



Forgot Password?

You also can sign in with Facebook or Twitter if you've connected your account to them.

Sign In Using Facebook

Sign In Using Twitter