Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 12, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke will not intervene in Jeremy Sagastegui case

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke announced today that he will not intervene to delay or prevent the scheduled execution of Jeremy Sagastegui.

"The most solemn and grave responsibility a governor has is the power to spare the life of a person sentenced to death," Locke said. "I have thoroughly reviewed all the documents and arguments of this case, including the police report, Jeremy's detailed confession, reports of psychiatrists, petitions by his mother and her attorney for clemency, and the rulings of the courts.

"I also have reflected on the terrible loss suffered by the families of his victims.

"It has been said that Jeremy Sagastegui wished to commit suicide by doing nothing to fight for his life. It is therefore implied that a 'normal' person would not proceed this way, and that the state is assisting in his suicide. That's preposterous.

"We should not expect cold-blooded murderers to hold the same sanctity for life—including their own—that we do. Jeremy Sagastegui says he prefers death to life in prison.

"This is a profoundly important matter, and I have given it great thought. The people of our state voted to authorize the death penalty for people committing heinous murders. Jeremy Segastegui heinously murdered three people.

"Clemency is an act of grace or mercy to be used only in the most extraordinary of cases. In this case, I have found no miscarriage of justice in the courts. There is nothing extraordinary in this case to merit leniency. Accordingly, I will not intervene."

Locke said the case is exactly like that of Wesley Allan Dodd.

"In both instances, the defendant declined to introduce information about possible mitigating circumstances. In both cases, the courts consistently ruled that both men were competent to make that decision."

Dodd was executed in 1994 for a set of crimes similar to those for which Sagastegui is scheduled to be executed.

"The courts have spoken," Locke added. "I see no reason to intervene in this case."

On Oct. 8, the state Clemency and Pardons Board completed its review of the petition filed by Katie Vargas seeking clemency for Sagastegui. The Board did not recommend any form of clemency.

Sagastegui is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13.

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