Missouri carried out its second execution of the year as inmate David Hosier was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. local time at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre. Hosier, 69, had been on death row since 2013 after being convicted of capital murder in the 2009 deaths of Angela Gilpin and Rodney Gilpin at their home in Jefferson City.
Despite maintaining his innocence, Hosier’s clemency petition was denied by Governor Mike Parson, who cited the heinous nature of the crimes. Parson oversaw the execution, stating that Hosier killed the couple in a jealous rage. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected Hosier’s prior appeals, upholding the state’s decision to proceed with the execution.
Hosier was convicted of fatally shooting the Gilpins during an armed burglary, following a former romantic relationship with Angela Gilpin. Parson highlighted Hosier’s decades-long history of violence against women, emphasizing his lack of remorse for the senseless violence he committed. The victim’s purse was found to contain an application for a protective order against Hosier after the murders.
Hosier’s defense attorneys had attempted to appeal the death sentence, arguing that no physical evidence linked their client to the murders. Despite the lack of forensic evidence, the court upheld the decision. His recent clemency petition focused on his personal life, including a stroke he suffered in 2007 that left him with brain damage and the traumatic event of his father’s murder in 1971.
U.S. Reps. Cori Bush and Emmanuel Cleaver urged Parson to grant Hosier’s clemency, citing his medical issues and mental illness. They suggested that vital medical information omitted during the trial could constitute a violation of Hosier’s rights. Hosier expressed dissatisfaction with his defense team’s approach to the clemency request, feeling that the focus should have been on the lack of forensic evidence rather than his childhood trauma.
In the face of opposition and appeals, Hosier was executed in Missouri, marking the state’s latest capital punishment sentence. The case sparked debates about the fairness of the justice system and the use of the death penalty in instances where evidence may be lacking.