Florida should not execute a person with mental illness

As Evangelical bishops we defend the sanctity of every human life. This is why we cannot support Thursday’s scheduled execution of Donald Dillbeck, a severely mentally ill man who has been on Florida’s death row for 30 years.We pray that Gov. Ron DeSantis will consider the full context of this man’s life. His story is that of a sinner, as well as that of a child who has been sinned against. It is that of a man who has done great harm, and that of a child to whom great harm was done.Dillbeck was born with permanent brain damage, a result of his mother’s extreme abuse of alcohol while pregnant with him. As a young child, he endured unimaginable sexual abuse from his mother, who also practiced prostitution in front of her children, regularly withheld food from them and used knives and extension cords to beat them.When Dillbeck was 4, he and his sister were put into foster care, where they continued to experience physical violence. Later he was separated from his sister, the only person who had shown him love. He was eventually adopted by the Dillbecks, and as a young teen, he began to abuse drugs and alcohol. He wasn’t provided with mental health counseling or substance abuse treatment.At age 15, Dillbeck was asleep in a stolen car when he was awakened by a Lee County sheriff’s deputy. Panicking, he ran, and was quickly caught. A struggle ensued and he pulled the gun from Deputy Lee Dwight Lynn Halls’ holster, firing two fatal shots. He was quickly charged as an adult and, with no investigation into his life, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison — a sentence that would be unconstitutional for a 15-year-old today.Dillbeck was sent to one of Florida’s most violent adult prisons, where he was beaten and raped on several occasions. Despite persistent symptoms of mental illness, he did not receive psychological treatment. In 1990, he fled from a food catering job he had while incarcerated and, on the run, he committed the tragic murder of Faye Vann, for which he is facing execution.During Dillbeck’s death penalty trial, four members of the jury took into account the circumstances of his horrific childhood and voted to spare his life. Today, no state in the country would permit a death sentence based on a 8-4 vote, but at the time, Florida did not require a unanimous jury and he was sentenced to death.Since the original trial, Dillbeck has been diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, which requires seven significant factors to be present, including behavioral and adaptive impairments. Dillbeck’s diagnosis is not in dispute but has never been considered by a jury.The death penalty has been applied to many people in the U.S., and some will argue that it is an appropriate punishment for certain crimes. The difference in this case is that this man never had an opportunity to live a life that is whole and healthy. Throughout his life, no one intervened to protect him from horrific abuse and neglect. Both the systems and people that should have protected him, failed him. We are grateful for the growing consensus in favor of protecting people with serious mental illness from the death penalty. People with serious mental illnesses are inherently less responsible for their actions and must be treated differently.In the three decades since Dillbeck was sentenced to death, he has progressed into a sober and prayerful person, developing meaningful relationships and reflecting a life of redemption. While we cannot go back and undo the damage Dillbeck has caused, or undo the damage done to him in the past, we can open the door to redemption by embracing compassion and allowing him to live out the rest of his days in prison.We recognize that that the state has the authority to execute Dillbeck but we ask: Should it? DeSantis is presented with the choice between life or death for Dillbeck. In the Bible we read, “Today I have given you a choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I make heaven and earth a witness to the choice you make; if you choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)We pray to God for DeSantis, that his leadership will be defined by supporting and defending the value of all life, including that of Dillbeck, a broken, mentally ill man, created in the Image of God. Bishop Derrick L. McRae is president of the African American Council of Christian Clergy and Bishop Angel Marcial is president of the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Councils & Evangelical Institutions.

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