A gay man guilty of murder has been executed in South Dakota after being on death row for more than 25 years.
Charles Russell Rhines, 63, was executed via lethal injection yesterday at 7.39pm local time at the state prison in Sioux Falls, SD.
Rhines pleaded guilty to the brutal stabbing of 22-year-old Donnivan Schaeffer. The incident took place in 1992 while Rhines attempted to rob a Rapid City doughnut shop and was disturbed by Schaeffer.
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Schaeffer worked at the store and was making a delivery. Rhines stabbed him in the stomach.
Schaeffer begged to be taken to hospital and promised not to tell anyone of seeing Rhines. Instead, Rhines took him to a storeroom, tied him up and stabbed him dead.
During his trial, the jury heard how Rhines had boasted of knowing exactly how far he had to stick a knife into someone’s head to kill them instantly. He also appeared to show no remorse over the death, even laughing as he recounted Schaeffer’s death spasms.
After hearing Rhines’ confession to police, the jury consequently recommended the death penalty.
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However, reports later emerged of the jury’s deliberations. This included a comment from one juror about how locking Rhines up in jail with other men for the rest of his life was probably what he’d want, as he was gay.
The jury also sent notes with questions to the judge. This included asking whether Rhines would have a cell to himself or would have a cellmate.
In 2017, Rhines appealed to the US Supreme Court to have his death sentence changed to life in prison. He argued the jury had been biased against him as a gay man.
Jury members told investigators this was not the case, and that the comment about him enjoying being locked up in prison with other men was a lighthearted quip in response to Rhines’ apparent lack of remorse.
South Dakota’s attorney general’s office also defended the jury’s decision.
“The jurors have stated they were moved to a death sentence by the calloused and gruesome nature of the murder and, most of all, by Rhines’ bloodcurdling confession, in which he cackles while comparing (his victim’s) death spasms to a beheaded chicken running around a barnyard.”
In 2018, the US Supreme Court declined to reconsider Rhines’ case without giving a reason.
Rhines continued to fight against his execution. His legal team lodged further appeals. Besides arguing that the original jury was biased, he and his lawyers focussed on how he was due to die. They argued the drug pentobarbital is not the “ultra-short-acting” drug he was entitled to.
However, yesterday afternoon, that and two other points of appeal also failed, meaning the execution could go ahead.
Before he was put to death Rhines was allowed his final words. He used them to address the parents of his victim, telling them he forgave them for their anger towards him.
“Ed and Peggy Schaeffer, I forgive you for your anger and hatred towards me,” he said, reports Rapid City Journal.
“I pray to God that he forgives you for your anger and hatred towards me. Thanks to my team. I love you all, goodbye. Let’s go. That’s all I have to say. Goodbye.”
Rhines’ lawyer, Shawn Nolan, said of his client’s execution: “It is very sad and profoundly unjust that the State of South Dakota today executed Charles Rhines, a gay man, without any court ever hearing the evidence of gay bias that infected the jury’s decision to sentence him to death.”
Vince
The only thing disappointing to me is that it took 25 years to kill him.
tdx3fan
Should have cut his head off and let him run around. What a piece of human garbage!
Cam
25 years?????
JaredMacBride
I’ve never been a fan of the death penalty because I don’t think it deters anything. But I’m pretty sure the world is better off without this guy around.
barkomatic
This is not the type of person I want to make a point over gay rights for. He sounded like a horrible person and the comment the juror made is irrelevant in this case.
jcoberkrom
His orientation is not the issue regardless of what the jury did/said.
Vince
“I pray to God that he forgives you for your anger and hatred towards me.”
Oh and wow. 25 years and apparently no remorse. Oh well. At least he’s dead now.
GentlemanCaller
Using his homosexuality like this is no different from the “gay panic” defense, and equally disgusting. I don’t support the death penalty, but my opposition largely takes the form of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka: “No. Stop. Don’t,” so in this case, yeah, whatever.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Just because a vile, noxious cretin sucks cuck don’t make him a member of our community. For what he did to that kid and his family am hoping he has just been introduced in the darkest corner of Hell to the white hot metal rod that will be impaled in his sorry arse for him to be writhing in insufferable agony for eternity….
nitejonboy
I do not believe in the death penalty, however after hearing his last words and other things about his crime I have little sympathy for him. He is not the type of person gay rights were meant to protect, he is vile and disgusting. He is definitely burning in hell.
Brian
Gay rights are meant to protect all gay people, even this guy. However, this execution has nothing to do with gay rights.
Bob LaBlah
He got what he asked for and I find it a fitting part of his punishment that it took twenty-five years to put him to death. This guy clearly was no sweetheart and I find it very hard to believe that in those twenty five years he awaited execution he didn’t make enough enemies where he continuously slept with one eye open and looked over his shoulder constantly out of fear some one would slip up behind him and break his neck. He killed a kid who hadn’t really begun his life. I hope he was healthy when he was put to sleep permanently and denied his request for a last meal. I would have gotten no pleasure out of it had he been sick but if he stayed healthy all of those years in the end he realized just what he had done with his life and was now paying the ultimate price for bad decisions.
okiloki
Seems like a no story. He committed a horrible crime, lacked remorse, and continued to be a danger to society. Seems like the perfect candidate for the death penalty.
CMZ
He’s getting what he richly deserves
ass eater
What if he wasn’t gay, but was just male hustler preying upon gay men.
djmcgamester
Whether you believe in the death penalty or not, it’s not unusual to execute people for a single murder (where the death penalty exists). The thing is, he didn’t just stab that guy and run. He dragged him to a private spot and stabbed him to death. The guy is despicable. I’m sure lots of stupid things are said by jury members. However, the ones deemed homophobic talked about prison rather than death.
Even at the end he doesn’t apologize for his actions. Instead, he makes it seem like the Schaeffer’s were wrong for hating him. Good riddance.