Tennessee Gulf War Vet put to death with PTSD

Gulf War veteran who killed his four children CHOOSES to go to the electric chair
Last updated at 20:00pm on 12th September 2007

Murderer: Daryl Holton
A Quadruple killer went to the electric chair yesterday after choosing to be electrocuted rather than receive a lethal injection.


Daryl Holton, 45, a Gulf war veteran who murdered his three sons and their half-sister with an assault rifle after promising them a Christmas surprise, was the first inmate to be electrocuted in the state of Tennessee since 1960.

When prison warden Ricky Bell asked Holton if he had any last words, he replied only 'Yeah, I do,' but said nothing further.

Officials at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution then placed a wet sponge and metal plate on Holton's head.

Holton kept his eyes closed.

As a towel was used to wipe away water from the sponge, he said: "Don't worry about it."

A black shroud was placed over his head.

Then a 20-second shock was administered. Holton's back straightened and his hips moved up out of the chair before he slumped back.

After a 15 second pause, Holton was given a second shock that lasted 15 seconds.

He was pronounced dead moments later.

Tennessee law states the voltage used must be at least 1,750 volts.

Electrocution was first introaduced in New York in 1888 as a more humane method of execution than hanging, but there have been horrific instances of inmates catching on fire, multiple jolts being needed to kill, and bones being broken by convulsing limbs.

Holton had methodically killed his children and their half-sister in Shelbyville, Tennessee, garage in 1997, following a lengthy custody battle with his ex-wife.

Lined up on the promise of a Christmas surprise, the youngsters - Steven, 12, Brent, ten, Eric, six, and their four-year-old half-sister Kayla - were shot in the back.

Holton told police he killed the children because his ex-wife had not let him see them for months.

Holton said he was suffering from severe depression at the time. His lawyers maintain he had a long history of mental illness and may have suffered post traumatic stress disorder following the 1991 Gulf War.
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When I was researching the suicide deaths of our veterans, I came across more stories like Holton's and their families. The percentages of murder-suicides is low. There were other crimes committed but most of the ones I found had suspicions of links to inoculations and drugs given before deployments. The majority of the PTSD findings I came across were suicide.

Too many of these men and women have the mind-set that people with PTSD are defects, useless or even deserve what they're going through. Others around them don't want PTSD talked about because they feel it will make them look bad.

Although I am grateful the media began to pay attention to PTSD, they still have fallen short of removing the stupidity from the minds of those in the military and eliminating the stigma attached to having it. What will it take for everyone to finally and fully understand that PTSD is a wound. It is caused by trauma. It has nothing to do with being "bad" or "evil" or their courage or their patriotism but has everything to do with getting help to heal.

The dangerous ones are rare with PTSD. Most are just trying to spend one night without having a nightmare, without having a flashback, without forgetting what happened ten minutes ago because of short term memory loss.

There are different degrees of PTSD and it is about time for us to understand this. It is not a one size fits all diagnosis. Some have mild PTSD that if they get treated early on, it does not develop into full blown life altering PTSD for the rest of their lives. Others develop it stronger from trauma upon trauma piling up until they can no longer see themselves when they look in the mirror. Until the sickening, judgmental response of those around these wounded warriors develops into positive support, more will end up suffering needlessly. More families will fall apart and more people will blame themselves instead of the trauma.


Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Namguardianangel.blogspot.com
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington